Wanderwort

A Wanderwort (German: [ˈvandɐvɔɐ̯t], 'migrant word', sometimes pluralized as Wanderwörter, usually capitalized following German practice) is a word that has spread as a loanword among numerous languages and cultures, especially those that are far away from one another. As such, Wanderwörter are a curiosity in historical linguistics and sociolinguistics within a wider study of language contact.^[1] At a sufficient time depth, it can be very difficult to establish in which language or language family a Wanderwort originated and into which it was borrowed.

Frequently, they are spread through trade networks, sometimes to describe a previously unfamiliar plant, animal or food.