Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Spanish ·1920s
Cilantro
from cilantro
- Meaning
- The leaves of the coriander plant, used as a herb.
- Source word
- cilantro
- Route into English
- Spanish *cilantro* (from Latin *coriandrum*) → American English via Mexican cuisine. British English uses *coriander* for the herb and seed; American English borrowed the Spanish name for the leaves only, keeping *coriander* for the seed.
- Arrived
- 1920s
From Spanish
American Spanish, not peninsular Spanish, provided most of the modern loanwords — through US expansion westward and Latin American trade.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.