tomato

Where does the word "tomato" come from? It comes from Nahuatl tomatl, passing through Spanish before entering English (1600s).

Tomato’s story begins in Nahuatl: tomatl meant “tomato.” Literally "the swelling fruit", used by the Aztecs. By c. 1530s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as tomate. Brought to Spain following the conquest of Mexico. It reached English by 1600s as tomato. Adapted from Spanish and Portuguese sources. Today, tomato means a red edible fruit, typically eaten as a vegetable.

1. Stage 1 · Nahuatl · pre-1500s tomatl "tomato", literally "the swelling fruit", used by the Aztecs.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · c. 1530s tomate "tomato", brought to Spain following the conquest of Mexico.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s tomato "the tomato fruit", adapted from Spanish and Portuguese sources.