English word origin

Etymology of kombu

From Japanese 昆布 (こんぶ, konbu).

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

Edible kelp (“a type of brown seaweed”) (from the class Phaeophyceae) used in East Asian cuisine.

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

From Japanese 昆布 (こんぶ, konbu).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention昆布ja

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "昆布",
        "tr": "こんぶ, konbu"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 昆布 (こんぶ, konbu)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "昆布",
      "昆布#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "こんぶ",
      "こんぶ"
    ],
    [
      "konbu",
      "konbu"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Edible kelp (“a type of brown seaweed”) (from the class Phaeophyceae) used in East Asian cuisine."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "4ac55995b07e572ca1e4f40290dc8a32c3f9275b124cb35c67a3048bbd8b07ba",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ce35f6f5f5846d5a28b7a1544a154f99c66c2314dc5cf71a15d75e06a12cc782",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 456408
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A kind of long horn instrument from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

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

No narrative was extracted for this section. Available source templates and references appear below; no ancestor chain has been invented to fill the gap.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ (instrument)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A kind of long horn instrument from Tamil Nadu and Kerala."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "ae82ff645bbef51a77e266bd7949efc28b70729a541e05fce6a0ef36956afece",
      "rawRecordSha256": "119db2b541e0c8f250506bb22c1e12f1e7fe833e330e15458d3878d1037697b6",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 456409
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 kombu →

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-a29tYnU