Cuchara
/kuˈtʃaɾa/noun
The Spanish word for “spoon,” also used in some English contexts as a Spanish loanword or name.
Did you know?The Latin cochleāre was a small spoon associated with cochlea, “snail” or “snail shell,” and Roman diners used pointed-ended spoons to extract snails from their shells.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κοχλίας (kokhlias)
“Snail or spiral shell; the ancient source associated with the later Latin shell-word family.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cochlea
“Snail, spiral shell, or spiral-shaped object.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cochleāre
“A spoon, especially a small pointed spoon connected with eating snails.”
Late Latin
Latin
cochleāria
“Spoon; literally a utensil associated with the cochlea, or snail shell.”
Medieval Spanish
Old Spanish
cuchara
“Spoon; developed through regular sound changes from Latin cochleāria.”
Modern Spanish
Spanish
cuchara
“Spoon; the standard modern Spanish term.”