Sushi
/ˈsuːʃi/noun
A Japanese dish of vinegared rice, often served with seafood, vegetables, or other ingredients.
Did you know?The earliest forms of sushi were fermented fish preserved in sour rice; the rice was originally discarded rather than eaten.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Japanese
すし (sushi)
“Sour or acidic-tasting; an adjective associated with the sharp flavor of vinegar or fermentation”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
すし / 酸し
“A name associated with preserved fish and sour fermented rice”
Edo Period
Japanese
鮨・鮓・寿司
“Different written forms used for sushi; 寿司 is largely a phonetic auspicious-character spelling”
Early 19th Century
Japanese
握り寿司 (nigiri-zushi)
“Hand-formed sushi, an Edo-period style using seasoned rice and fresh toppings”
1890s
English
sushi
“An English borrowing from Japanese, initially referring to Japanese vinegared-rice dishes”
Modern English
English
sushi
“Vinegared rice served with seafood, vegetables, or other ingredients”