Makimono
/ˌmækɪˈmoʊnoʊ/noun
A Japanese term for a handscroll or, in English culinary usage, rolled sushi.
Did you know?In Japanese, makimono traditionally means a horizontal handscroll, while the sushi sense developed from the same basic idea of food rolled into a cylinder.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
maku
“To roll, wind, or wrap around something”
8th Century
Old Japanese
mono
“A thing, object, or material entity”
Heian Period (794–1185)
Japanese
makimono
“A rolled manuscript or horizontal handscroll”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
makimono
“A painted, literary, or religious scroll read by unrolling it from one side to the other”
20th Century
Japanese
makimono
“A general term still used for handscrolls; also associated in food terminology with rolled sushi”
Modern English
English
makimono
“A Japanese handscroll or a type of rolled sushi”
Explore more surprising origins