Kimchi
/ˈkɪm.tʃi/noun
A Korean dish of fermented vegetables, usually napa cabbage or radish, seasoned with chili, garlic, ginger, and salt.
Did you know?The modern form kimchi developed through historical sound changes from Middle Korean forms such as dimchɨ, while the popular theory connecting it directly to Chinese 沈菜, “submerged vegetables,” remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 12th Century
Middle Korean
dimchɨ
“An early Korean form associated with preserved or fermented vegetables; its precise semantic development is debated.”
12th–15th Century
Middle Korean
딤채 (dimchɨ)
“A recorded historical form related to the name of the preserved-vegetable dish.”
16th–17th Century
Korean
dimchɨ / jimchɨ
“Later Korean forms showing sound changes that eventually led toward the modern pronunciation.”
18th–19th Century
Korean
김치 (gimchi)
“The established Korean name for fermented and seasoned vegetables.”
19th Century
English
kimchi
“An English transcription of Korean 김치, appearing in writing about Korean food.”
Modern English
English
kimchi
“A widely used English loanword for Korean fermented vegetables and dishes made from them.”