wonton

Where does the word "wonton" come from? It comes from Cantonese wan tan, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Wonton’s story begins in Cantonese: wan tan meant “a filled dumpling.” A small dumpling of meat wrapped in thin dough. It reached English by 1900s as wonton. Cantonese 'swallowing clouds', a pun on the dumplings' look in broth. Today, wonton means a small Chinese dumpling filled with meat, often served in soup.

1. Stage 1 · Cantonese · medieval wan tan "a filled dumpling", a small dumpling of meat wrapped in thin dough.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s wonton "a small Chinese dumpling served in soup or fried", Cantonese 'swallowing clouds', a pun on the dumplings' look in broth.