sushi

Where does the word "sushi" come from? It comes from Old Japanese sushi, passing through Japanese before entering English (1900s).

Sushi’s story begins in Old Japanese: sushi meant “sour, fermented fish.” Originally meaning "sour", describing fermented, preserved fish. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Japanese as sushi. Evolved to mean fresh fish served with vinegared rice. It reached English by 1900s as sushi. The first sushi bar in the US opened in Los Angeles in 1966. Today, sushi means a Japanese dish of vinegared rice combined with fish, seafood, or vegetables.

1. Stage 1 · Old Japanese · ancient sushi "sour, fermented fish", originally meaning "sour", describing fermented, preserved fish.
2. Stage 2 · Japanese · 1800s sushi "vinegared rice with fish", evolved to mean fresh fish served with vinegared rice.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s sushi "a dish of vinegared rice with fish or vegetables", the first sushi bar in the US opened in Los Angeles in 1966.