Maize

/meɪz/ noun

Definition

Corn, a tall grain crop with large kernels that grow on cobs; a staple food worldwide.

Etymology

From Spanish 'maíz,' borrowed from Taíno (an indigenous Caribbean language) 'mahiz.' European colonists brought the word back along with the crop from the Americas, making it a linguistic souvenir of colonization.

Kelly Says

Maize is native to Mexico and the Americas—the word itself is indigenous, traveling back to Europe through Spanish, proving that food words often carry the deepest cultural histories.

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