Friday, April 28, 2023

Potatoes, yams, and tomatoes around the world

The following data tend to show that many foreign-introduced fruits and vegetables are called something to the effect of 'foreign [type of produce]'. See below for all the fun details!

Lisu 

In Lisu, Hꓶ; Bꓲ; [xɯ̂ˀ bîˀ] 'potato' in Lisu comes from Hꓶ: [xɯ̂] 'Chinese' and Bꓲ; [bîˀ] 'taro/yam', so literally 'Chinese taro/yam'.


Chinese
In Chinese, 土豆 tǔdòu (lit. 'earth bean') refers to 'potato' in mainland China, and 'peanut' in Taiwan. 

Other Chinese words for 'potato' or 'yam' include: 
马铃薯 mǎlíngshǔ (lit. 'horse bell potato/yam') 'potato'
薯 shǔ 'yam/tuber/potato'
地瓜 dìguā (lit. earth melon) 'sweet potato'
红薯 hóngshǔ (lit. red yam/tuber/potato) 'sweet potato'
番薯 fānshǔ (lit. foreign yam/tuber/potato) '(dialect) sweet potato / yam'
洋芋 yángyù (lit. ocean/foreign/western taro) '(dialect) potato'.

As a bonus, here are Chinese words for 'tomato':
西红柿 xīhóngshì (lit. western red persimmon) 'tomato'
番茄 fānqié (lit. foreign eggplant) 'tomato'

Thai
Thai words for foreign fruits and vegetables:
มะเขือเทศ má-khʉ̌a thêet (lit. eggplant foreign = foreign eggplant) 'tomato'
มันเทศ man thêet (lit. yam/tuber foreign = foreign yam/tuber) 'sweet potato'
มันฝรั่ง man faràŋ (lit. yam/tuber foreign = foreign yam/tuber) '[general] Irish potato; potato'

French
In French, pomme de terre (lit. apple of [the] earth) means 'potato'. (In Old French, pomme originally meant 'fruit'.)

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