*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of bao

Borrowed from Mandarin 包 (bāo) or Cantonese 包 (baau1). Cognate of Vietnamese bánh bao.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Any of various types of steamed bread or bun used in Chinese cuisine · A sandwich or stuffed bun made with this bread

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Mandarin 包 (bāo) or Cantonese 包 (baau1). Cognate of Vietnamese bánh bao.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-m",
      "args": {
        "1": "包"
      },
      "expansion": "包 (bāo)"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yue",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Cantonese"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-m",
      "args": {
        "1": "包",
        "tr": "baau1"
      },
      "expansion": "包 (baau1)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cognate",
      "args": {
        "1": "vi",
        "2": "bánh bao"
      },
      "expansion": "Vietnamese bánh bao"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "包",
      "包#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "包",
      "包#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "bánh bao",
      "bánh bao#Vietnamese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various types of steamed bread or bun used in Chinese cuisine",
        "A sandwich or stuffed bun made with this bread"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "c46fbb5e83bf8b55fb4aea7a11f64bac3afd1b31de97e32d4736ebc38f88e4f2",
      "rawRecordSha256": "6b9022fd5f3f106b780798fb04d476986d1938e6a3cbf3bb2e23964825a0d59c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 862110
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A mancala board game played in East Africa.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Swahili bao.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "sw:bao",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Swahili\", \"term\" : \"bao\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"sw\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"bao\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"bao\">\nBorrowed from Swahili bao."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "sw:bao",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Swahili bao."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "bao",
      "bao#Swahili"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A mancala board game played in East Africa."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
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  ],
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for bao →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YmFv