Soya
/ˈsɔɪ.ə/noun
A soybean, or a product made from soybeans.
Did you know?English “soya” ultimately traces to Japanese shōyu, meaning soy sauce, rather than originally naming the bean itself.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
醬油 (jiàngyóu)
“A fermented sauce made with a liquid or oil-like component; the source of Japanese shōyu.”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
shōyu (醤油)
“Soy sauce; literally a sauce associated with fermented bean paste and oil.”
17th Century
Dutch
soja
“Soy sauce or the soybean, borrowed through Dutch contact with Japan.”
17th Century
English
soy
“Soy sauce, later extended to the soybean.”
18th–19th Century
English
soya
“A variant form of soy, increasingly used for the bean and its products.”
Modern English
English
soya
“The soybean or something derived from it, especially in British and international usage.”