Fascinating Origin of 15 Chinese Words That Became Part of the English Vocabulary
by The history of English language traces back thousands of years ago. The English language has brought in influences of other languages through Britain’s history of world trade, overseas exploration and expansion. One of the many languages that had added the zest to the English vocabulary is Chinese.
Kowtow
This word actually came from a Cantonese words “ko” or knock and “tou” or head. “Kotou” is a Chinese custom of kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground to show great respect or to show obvious deference. During the British trading with the Chinese, somewhere around the 19th century, the word kowtow was usually referred to the act of being submissive, humble and respectful to someone in the local authority.
Chop
Originally, this word was from Cantonese word “kap” which means urgent or fast. The word chop-chop now is usually used (normally in British English) as an expression when you want someone to hurry, move quickly and without delay. In actual fact, the root word chop was also used in the word “chopsticks” to refer to the two thin sticks used as eating utensils in many Far Eastern countries.
Char
This word actually came from a Mandarin word “cha” or tea. Char is an old British word to refer to a cup of tea. The word “tea” in modern English was also questionably of Chinese origin. The Dutch, who was the lead importer of tea leaves through the Dutch East India Company during the early 17th century, used the word “thee” which was derived from the Chinese Amoy dialect “t”e’ or Indo-Malay “teh”.
Chow
This word actually came from a Cantonese word which originally meant stir fry cooking. Perhaps, influenced by the Chinese immigrants who came to the United States in the late 19th century, the word “chow” has become an American English slang word to refer to food or eat as in “chowing down the bread”. There are also other spin-off words using the root word “chow” in informal English such as chowtime and chowhound.
Ketchup
The word came from Indo-Malay word “kechap” which was derived from Chinese Amoy “ketsiap”, originally to refer to fish sauce condiments. Resulting from influences from Europe and America, ketchup now refers to tomato sauce.
Sampan
This word was a combination of two Cantonese words, “sam” or three and “baan” or board, which basically refers to a small, flat-bottomed boat, usually propelled by two short oars. The three boards probably refer to the three pieces of planks separating the sections in the boat. This type of boat is usually used in rivers and harbors in the Far East.
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Post CommentAnne Lyken-Garner
On July 23, 2008 at 5:11 am
Great research. I like to know how words have come into modern usage.
trengganu-anxious
On July 23, 2008 at 8:05 am
The one about Shanghai is interesting.I would never have thought it has another meaning to it, which is ‘act of inducing or compelling someone to do something by force or fraud’. Very informative Sher
nobert soloria bermosa
On July 23, 2008 at 5:05 pm
very interesting and educational as well,thanks Sher
del
On July 23, 2008 at 8:28 pm
interesting facts. good job.
Liane Schmidt
On September 17, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Interesting, unique article. Nice work!
Blessings & best wishes.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
Blue Buttefly
On November 2, 2008 at 3:20 am
Well researched and interesting. Thanks for sharing.
ray
On November 9, 2008 at 12:09 am
original…interesting! good job
Adam Henry Sears
On December 10, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Hi Sher, how are you?
I love Chinese food, but this puts a new twist on some of the words I knew. Cool! Keep up the good work.
Chew Yoke Lim
On August 3, 2009 at 11:37 am
I am afraid the piece on “Chop” is completely wrong, but it may not be your fault as you might have picked that up from other misinformed sources.
The explanation given for the origin of the expression “chop chop” here (and it appears, elsewhere as well) seems to me that it must have been a fanciful conjecture by someone not knowledgeable about the Chinese language, particularly Cantonese.
The expression “chop chop” may be slightly mispronounced, but it certainly is not from the Chinese word (急) ‘kap”, which does indeed mean urgent, but not fast in the usual sense of being quick. There is a sense of anxiety in the connotation to this word. It may also used when referring to a fast flowing stream, and in some other usages, but not, as I say, being quick.
It is, in fact, from a perfectly literary Chinese word (速) pronounced “chuk” in Cantonese (or “su” in Mandarin pinyin). It means quick, fast, rapid, etc.
To express urgency or to demand speed from someone, usually from an employee or other subordinate person, the word is replicated. The replicated words “chuk chuk” are usually used as a command or an instruction.
It is also true that the Chinese word (快) – “kuai” (in Mandarin pinyin) or “faai” (in Cantonese Yale phonetic spelling) also means fast, but the claim that it is the same as “chop” is so tenuous that any person knowledgeable in the Chinese language will be very incredulous.
I also doubt very much that the “kuai/faai” word (meaning fast) is the origin of the word for chopsticks, principally because the Chinese word for chopsticks is a different word in Chinese (筷), although it is also pronounced as “kuai/faai”.
Back to “chop chop” – and how “chuk chuk” became “chop chop” is something I can only guess at.
It is not beyond possibility that the following might have been a
scenario in the old days in the United States.
Many Chinese Cantonese were running laundry businesses then, and when a non-Chinese customer came to collect his washing, the owner might have instructed a somewhat lethargic employee to “chuk chuk” and get the laundry.
And what the customer might have heard was “chop chop”, the closest to the English words the customer knew.
So if someone else has the means to research when and where this expression “chop chop” was first used – and, if it is found that it was first used in the United States (perhaps in the 19th century), then my “guess” may well be correct.