Indian corn

English

Etymology

Before the Columbian contact of the Old World with the New World, the English word corn meant any of various cereal grains, with usage much like the word grain is often used today. When maize, a New World crop, was introduced to English-speakers, they called it Indian corn as a natural term for "the kind of corn (grain) that comes from the Indies." Eventually English-speakers in North America came to use the word corn to mean maize when not otherwise specified, and they came to use the term Indian corn to mean a certain fancy type of maize.

Pronunciation

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Noun

Indian corn (uncountable)

2. (obsolete) Maize.
4. A variety of maize in which the kernels are variously coloured, rather than being all of the same colour.

   Synonyms: flint corn, calico corn

6. A variety of candy corn that contains chocolate in addition to honey-based candy.

Descendants

• → Welsh: india-corn

Translations

a type of maize

• German: Hartmais m
• Norman: maïs m
• Pawnee: kiciirit
• Tzotzil: ixim

See also

• kaffir corn