Where does “mooncake” come from?

mooncake (English) comes from English moon, from Middle English mone, from Old English mān, from Sanskrit महादेव, from Sanskrit महा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

mooncake (English): A rich, dense Chinese pastry with a variety of...

Definitions

  1. A rich, dense Chinese pastry with a variety of...

Ancestry of “mooncake”, step by step

mooncake traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English moon

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmoonAny natural satellite of a planet; A month,...
2Middle EnglishmoneA lamentation; A moan, complaint; The celestial...
3Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
4Sanskritमहादेवthe "great God"
5Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
6Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́
7Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
8Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

via English cake

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcakeA rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of...
2Middle Englishcakecake; A cake prepared to cure disease or illness;...
3Old Norsekakacake
4Proto-Germanickakǭcake
5Proto-Indo-Europeangōg-round, ball-shaped object; lump; clump
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s
mooncake — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer