Quinoa
/ˈkiːnwɑː/noun
A grain-like seed from a South American plant, widely eaten as a cereal substitute.
Did you know?The word comes from Quechua kinwa, and Spanish chroniclers recorded quinoa as a major sacred staple of the Inca world long before it became a modern wellness trend.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Quechuan
Qch
*kinwa
“The quinoa plant and its edible seeds”
Pre-Columbian Quechua
Qch
kinwa
“Quinoa, an important cultivated grain-like food”
16th Century
Spanish
quinua
“Quinoa, the Andean seed crop”
18th-19th Century
European languages
quinoa
“The same South American food plant, borrowed through Spanish”
Modern English
English
quinoa
“A high-protein edible seed used like a grain”