Animals, plants & weatherTrade, money & letters

gum

Egyptian qmyt was acacia resin, used in medicine and in mummification. Greek kómmi, Latin cummi and gummi carried it through French to English, Byzantine Greek to Russian, and Dutch gom to Japan as gomu 'rubber', where English later added gamu 'chewing gum'. (The 'gums' in your mouth are a different, native word.)

Weakest linkCertain

The road to English

From Late Latin to Spanish

From Latin to German

From Late Latin to Italian

From Late Latin to Old French, French

From Old French to Dutch, Japanese

From Ancient Greek to Old East Slavic, Russian

From English to American English

From American English to Japanese

1500 BCEAncient Egyptian

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

gum

Weakest linkCertain

The road to English

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