wat

Where does the word "wat" come from? It comes from Amharic wat, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Wat’s story begins in Amharic: wat meant “a spicy stew.” A thick, spicy stew central to Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. It reached English by 1900s as wat. Amharic 'wot', a stew eaten on injera; doro wat, chicken stew, is Ethiopia's national dish. Today, wat means a thick, spicy stew central to Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine, often served with injera.

1. Stage 1 · Amharic · medieval wat "a spicy stew", a thick, spicy stew central to Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s wat "a thick, spicy Ethiopian stew", Amharic 'wot', a stew eaten on injera; doro wat, chicken stew, is Ethiopia's national dish.