トウモロコシ: Why kana? What is the etymology?


First came across this written in Kana

# Midori

> とうもろこし, トウモロコシ【玉蜀黍】
>
> corn (US), maize (UK) (usually written in kana)

Why Kana?

Is トウモロコシ borrowed from another language?

What is the etymology of トウモロコシ?




No, it isn't borrowed. The etymology of the word comes from モロコシ, which was
introduced to Japan earlier from China.

When maize was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese, it was noticed that it
looked similar to sorghum (モロコシ, 蜀黍, 唐黍). The prefix とう was added to indicate
it was the _foreign_ good type instead of the (also foreign, but earlier)
sorghium.

モロコシ as mentioned comes from 唐黍. The kanji 唐 or 唐土 in kana was もろこし, c.f. 唐土人
(meaning Chinese) もろこしびと. 黍 is of course, きび. Overtime, 唐黍/もろこしきび became just
もろこし. So the maize, with the とう prefix, became とうもろこし(きび).

Since it is based on Chinese, there's also kanji for that word; 玉蜀黍. At first
the second 唐 was replaced 蜀 to avoid a silly looking name like 唐唐黍. Then the 唐
prefix was also switched out for 玉, because of its green (outer) colour.

But like most fruits and vegetables, it is generally written in kana today
anyway.




No, it isn't borrowed. The etymology of the word comes from モロコシ, which was
introduced to Japan earlier from China.

When maize was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese, it was noticed that it
looked similar to sorghum (モロコシ, 蜀黍, 唐黍). The prefix とう was added to indicate
it was the _foreign_ good type instead of the (also foreign, but earlier)
sorghium.

モロコシ as mentioned comes from 唐黍. The kanji 唐 or 唐土 in kana was もろこし, c.f. 唐土人
(meaning Chinese) もろこしびと. 黍 is of course, きび. Overtime, 唐黍/もろこしきび became just
もろこし. So the maize, with the とう prefix, became とうもろこし(きび).

Since it is based on Chinese, there's also kanji for that word; 玉蜀黍. At first
the second 唐 was replaced 蜀 to avoid a silly looking name like 唐唐黍. Then the 唐
prefix was also switched out for 玉, because of its green (outer) colour.

But like most fruits and vegetables, it is generally written in kana today
anyway.

