Maize
/meɪz/noun
A cereal plant of the grass family, widely cultivated for its edible grains; corn.
Did you know?English maize comes through Spanish maíz from Taíno mahiz, one of the clearest everyday reminders that global food words often preserve the first names Europeans heard in the New World.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian
Taíno
mahiz
“maize, the staple grain”
16th Century
Spanish
maíz
“maize, corn”
16th Century
Portuguese
milho-maiz
“maize; corn”
16th Century
French
maïs
“maize, Indian corn”
17th Century
English
maize
“the grain plant Zea mays”