▁Et ym ology ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁" p addy " ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁word ▁p adi , ▁meaning ▁" rice ▁plant ". ▁It ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁Pro to - A ust ron esian ▁* p aj ay ▁(" rice ▁in ▁the ▁field ", ▁" rice ▁plant "), ▁with ▁cogn ates ▁including ▁Am is ▁pan ay ; ▁Tag alog ▁pal á y ; ▁K ad az an ▁D us un ▁pa ai ; ▁J avan ese ▁par i ; ▁and ▁Cham or ro ▁f ai , ▁among ▁others . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁southern ▁China ▁ ▁Gen etic ▁evidence ▁shows ▁that ▁all ▁forms ▁of ▁p addy ▁rice , ▁both ▁ind ica ▁and ▁japon ica , ▁spring ▁from ▁a ▁domestic ation ▁of ▁the ▁wild ▁rice ▁O ry za ▁r uf ip og on ▁by ▁cult ures ▁associated ▁with ▁pre - A ust ron esian ▁and ▁H m ong - M ien - spe akers . ▁This ▁occurred ▁around ▁ 1 3 , 5 0 0 ▁to ▁ 8 , 2 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Yang t ze ▁River ▁in ▁present - day ▁China . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁most ▁likely ▁cent ers ▁of ▁domestic ation ▁for ▁rice ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁wet - field ▁technology . ▁The ▁first , ▁and ▁most ▁likely , ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁Yang t ze ▁River , ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁hom el ands ▁of ▁the ▁pre - A ust ron es ians ▁and ▁possibly ▁also ▁the ▁Kra