Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “soy” come from?

Soy comes from Dutch soja, from Japanese そや, from Japanese そい, from Japanese 醤油, from Chinese 醬油, a condiment made from fermented soybeans.

soy (English): A common East Asian liquid sauce, made by...

Definitions

  1. A common East Asian liquid sauce, made by...

Ancestry of “soy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchsoiesilk; bristle; tang
2Middle Frenchsoyesilk
3Old Frenchsoiesilk
4Old Frenchseiesilk
5Latinsēta—
6Latinsaetaa bristle, hair on an animal; silk
7Proto-Italicsaitā—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanséh₂ito-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeansh₂ey-to bind, fetter
10Proto-Indo-Europeanseh₂-to satiate, satisfy

Words derived from “soy”

  • soybean
  • soymilk
  • soyfood
  • soyburger
  • soyaburger
  • soyhull
Every word from Proto-Indo-European seh₂- →