Tomato

The word "tomato" (Solanum lycopersicum, first attested in English in 1604 (Haugen 2009) comes from Nahuatl /toma-tl/ <tomatl> which refers to the "tomatillo" Physalis philadelphica (In Nahuatl, Solanum lycopersicum is called /ʃi-tomatl/ <xitomatl>).

It has been proposed (by whom?) that Nahuatl tomatl is related to the Nahua verb toma:wa "to become fat", but if this were the case the verb would be derived from the noun root. Rather it seems that this root is a loan into Proto-Nahuatl from an Otopamean language, perhaps Proto-Oto-Pamean *tembai, or perhaps proto-Matlatzinkan *tʃhɨmpa.

All Uto-Aztecan cognates are loans from Nahuatl dating to the colonial period, which can be seen because they include the Nahuan absolutive suffix, among them Hopi tomaati, tomaare Guarijío toma̱re <tomáre>.

Oto-pamean sources

Proto-Oto-pamean:

• te-mbai
• (te-)mbai-tʃi

Proto-Otomían: *tɛmpoʃɨ

Acazulco Otomí: tɛ́mpɁoʃi

Toluca Otomí: dɛmuʃí

Ixtenco Otomí: damʌʃí

Queretaro Otomí: dɛɁmtʃi

Mezquital Otomí: dɔ̃dímǎʃi

Mazahua: mbaremoʃʉ < *mba-temoʃʉ

Proto-Matlatzinkan: mpa tʃhɨ / tʃhɨ mpa

Matlatzinka Oxtotilpan: tʃhuwampa < *tʃhuwa-mpa

Tlawika: ñipa ’tomato’, mpátshi ’tomatillo’

Proto-Pamean: *tambai /*tapai

Northern Pame: mbai/pái (Bartholomew), dapay (SIL)

Chichimeco Jonaz: émbæɁæ