ketchup

The story

1. Hokkien膎汁 (kê-chiap)
2. Malaykecapbor.?
3. English todayketchup

Uncertain, but probably ultimately from Hokkien 膎汁 (kê-chiap, “fish sauce”, literally “pickled fish juice”), via Malay kecap /kicap (“any dark clear sauce from soybeans, fish, etc.”), though the precise path is unclear – there are related words in various Chinese languages. Various other theories exist – see Ketchup: Etymology for extended discussion. First appeared in English in the late 17th century in reference to a Southeast Asian sauce encountered by British traders and sailors. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that it was commonly used in the 18th century to refer to a variety of similar sauces with varying ingredients—"anchovies, mushrooms, walnuts, and oysters being particularly popular"—but by the late 19th century the current tomato ketchup became the most popular form. Catsup (earlier catchup) is an alternative Anglicization, still in use in the U.S., though it is now somewhat rare.