teff

Where does the word "teff" come from? It comes from Amharic teffa, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Teff’s story begins in Amharic: teffa meant “a minute, easily-scattered cereal grain.” Named for its tiny seeds, easily 'lost' during harvesting and threshing. It reached English by 1800s as teff. The world's smallest grain, used to make injera. Today, teff means a tiny, nutrient-dense cereal grain native to Ethiopia, ground into flour for injera bread and prized today as a gluten-free grain.

1. Stage 1 · Amharic · medieval teffa "a minute, easily-scattered cereal grain", named for its tiny seeds, easily 'lost' during harvesting and threshing.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s teff "a tiny nutritious cereal grain", the world's smallest grain, used to make injera.