Where does “soya” come from?
soya (Japanese) comes from Japanese 醤油, from Middle Chinese 醬油, from Middle Chinese 醬 — bean paste.
Ancestry of “soya”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 醤油 | soy sauce |
| 2 | Middle Chinese | 醬油 | — |
| 3 | Middle Chinese | 醬 | bean paste |