Pak Choy
/ˌpæk ˈtʃɔɪ/noun
A leafy Chinese vegetable with thick white stems and dark green leaves, also called bok choy.
Did you know?Pak choy is an English spelling based largely on Cantonese pronunciation, while “bok choy” reflects another romanization of the same Chinese name, 白菜.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
白菜
““White vegetable”; the written name for Chinese cabbage-type greens”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
白 *baek; 菜 *tshəʰ
“The ancestors of the characters meaning “white” and “vegetable””
19th Century
Cantonese
baak3 coi3
“Cantonese pronunciation of 白菜, literally “white vegetable””
19th–20th Century
English
pak choi
“A Cantonese-based English spelling for the vegetable”
Modern English
English
pak choy
“A common spelling variant of bok choy, especially in British and international usage”
Explore more surprising origins