Bao Bun
/ˈbaʊ bʌn/noun
A soft, usually steamed Chinese-style filled or folded bread roll.
Did you know?The phrase is a modern English hybrid: Mandarin bao refers to a filled steamed bread, while the English word bun comes from a separate European word meaning a small lump or cake.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
包
“To wrap, enclose, or contain”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
包
“A wrapped or enclosed thing”
Modern Mandarin
Mandarin
bāozi (包子)
“A filled steamed bun; literally, something wrapped or enclosed”
13th–14th Century
Middle English
bunne
“A small cake or bread roll”
17th Century
English
bun
“A small, round bread roll or sweet cake”
20th–21st Century
Modern English
bao bun
“An English compound combining Mandarin bao with English bun”