Ichigo
/i.tɕi.ɡoː/noun
A Japanese word commonly meaning “strawberry,” and also used as a Japanese personal name or cultural term.
Did you know?The strawberry sense is written with kanji such as 苺 or 莓, but the word’s original Japanese formation remains uncertain; proposed older forms include ichibiko.
Etymological Timeline
8th Century
Old Japanese
ichibiko
“An early recorded form associated with the strawberry plant or fruit; its internal origin is uncertain.”
Heian Period
Japanese
ichigo
“A later form of the word appears in Japanese usage for strawberry.”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
苺 / いちご
“The term became associated with the cultivated and wild strawberry, written with plant-related characters or kana.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
いちご (ichigo)
“The ordinary Japanese word for strawberry; it is also used in names, branding, anime, and popular culture.”
Modern English
English loanword
ichigo
“A Japanese cultural or culinary loanword used in English, especially in contexts involving Japanese food, names, and media.”
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