Hominy
/ˈhɑː.mɪ.ni/noun
Corn kernels that have been treated with an alkali to remove the hull and germ, or a dish made from them.
Did you know?Hominy comes from an Algonquian word recorded by English colonists, and its preparation reflects Indigenous food technology that made corn more nutritious through nixtamalization.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian North America
Algonquian
*aɬəməni*
“A term reconstructed from related Algonquian forms, referring to parched or prepared corn”
17th Century
English
hominey
“Corn prepared by soaking and removing the hull”
18th Century
English
hominy
“A form of hulled or broken maize used as food”
Modern English
English
hominy
“Corn kernels treated with alkali, or a dish made from them”