Ketchup

From Fresh Dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Noun 1.2.1 Alternative spellings 1.3 References

English

Etymology

1711, from Malay kichap, from Chinese Min Nan (鮭汁, POJ: kê-chiap) "brine of fish." Catsup (earlier catchup) is a failed attempt at Anglicization, still in use in U.S. Originally a fish sauce, early English recipes included among their ingredients mushrooms, walnuts, cucumbers, and oysters. Modern form of the sauce began to emerge when U.S. seamen added tomatoes.

Noun

ketchup (uncountable)

1. A tomato-vinegar based sauce. (The term is now used almost exclusively to refer to tomato ketchup, however, at one time it was a more general term for sauce and is still occasionally used in this way, such as grape-ketchup.)

Alternative spellings

• catsup

References

Online Etymology Dictionaryel:ketchup pt:ketchup sr:ketchup fi:ketchup zh:ketchup