Ketchup anyone?

Hollylane · 07-15-2012, 11:33 AM

I rarely use ketchup because of the sugar content, and the low carb variety simply tastes like tomato paste to me....

Because I love words so much, here was my first thought when I saw your thread:

Origin of word

The word ketchup is derived from the Chinese ke-tsiap, a pickled fish sauce. It made its way to Malaysia where it became kechap and ketjap in Indonesia. Catsup and catchup are acceptable spellings used interchangably with ketchup, however, ketchup is the way it is popularly used. "Catsup", which dates to the same time, may well be a different Romanization of the same word, trying to come closer to a sound that doesn't really exist in English.

In the 1800s, "ketchup" was most common in Britain and "catsup" was most common in the US for reasons unknown. The two words never really canceled each other out because in their formative years, there weren't spelling dictionaries choosing a "correct" version of words. (Many Americans pronounced "catsup" the same as "ketchup" in any case.) Today, "ketchup" is the dominant term in both countries, though "catsup" still has its strongholds, especially in the southern US.

07-15-2012, 11:33 AM	#8
Hollylane Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: . Preferred Pronoun?: . Relationship Status: . Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: . Posts: 11,495 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 34,694 Thanked 26,360 Times in 5,877 Posts Rep Power: 21474862	I rarely use ketchup because of the sugar content, and the low carb variety simply tastes like tomato paste to me.... Because I love words so much, here was my first thought when I saw your thread: Origin of word The word ketchup is derived from the Chinese ke-tsiap, a pickled fish sauce. It made its way to Malaysia where it became kechap and ketjap in Indonesia. Catsup and catchup are acceptable spellings used interchangably with ketchup, however, ketchup is the way it is popularly used. "Catsup", which dates to the same time, may well be a different Romanization of the same word, trying to come closer to a sound that doesn't really exist in English. In the 1800s, "ketchup" was most common in Britain and "catsup" was most common in the US for reasons unknown. The two words never really canceled each other out because in their formative years, there weren't spelling dictionaries choosing a "correct" version of words. (Many Americans pronounced "catsup" the same as "ketchup" in any case.) Today, "ketchup" is the dominant term in both countries, though "catsup" still has its strongholds, especially in the southern US.