<p>ice cream中的<strong>cream</strong>的意思就是奶油，而奶油的另一个名称就是<strong>麦淇淋(Margarine)</strong>，人们为了简化，于是就去掉了“麦”字，再加上ice（冰）。因此，冰淇淋这个名字就是这么样得来的。</p>
<p><a href="https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1999137538382287067.html?qbl=relate_question_1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1999137538382287067.html?qbl=relate_question_1</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-14T14:05:47.697Z
2024-06-14T14:05:47.697Z
r13
<p>淇淋 is a borrow word turned regular vocab.</p>
<p>冰 is the regular ice word in chinese.  淇淋 is a borrow word and directly saying the english word cream in chinese-- not in mandarin but in cantonese originally.  cantonese pronunciation of these characters is basically kaylam in sound which is quite similar to cream out loud ((R sound does not exist in cantonese hence L)).</p>
<p>This borrow word then entered the regular chinese vocabularly overall, probably through the internet and increased intercommunication of different chinese regions in general.  (◐‿◑)﻿</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-19T09:55:40.033Z
cream in Cantonese is 忌廉, a bit similar to 淇淋, but not close enough imho.
fat penguin
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2024-06-19T12:08:40.780Z
The term 冰淇淋 was already very popular in the 70's Taiwan, long before the invention of the Internet.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-20T02:48:20.507Z
@fatpenguin 忌廉 and 淇淋 are both different ways of writing cream as a borrow word into cantonese, only difference is the first letter being a cantonese k or cantonese g sound.
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-20T02:50:40.400Z
@joehua  I do believe the internet drastically increased the amount and distance of local area vocab, but it was definitely possible for vocab to spread before the internet was around.  Considering proximity and decent canto population in taiwan its totally normal it has been there for quite some time.  This would have been a borrow word to cantonese probably in the 1800s.
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-19T06:03:08.943Z
2024-06-19T06:03:08.943Z
zagrycha
<p>Is 冰淇淋 a partial calque of English &quot;ice cream&quot;?</p>
<ul>
<li>&quot;ice&quot; ⠀⠀<code>lit.</code> 冰</li>
<li>/kɹiːm/ <code>phon.</code> 淇淋</li>
</ul>
<p>If not, what is the etymology of 淇淋?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-14T12:52:22.777Z
Yes, it seems so. I would try to frame the question as in another way: What makes you believe that 冰淇淋 *isn't* a partial calque?
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-14T13:09:12.860Z
@dROOOze I assumed so but a friend told me they believed it came from English "chilling" not "cream", when I searched online I couldn't find anything definitive.
大胳膊雅各布
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-14T22:53:11.790Z
“Bing chilling” went viral due to [John Cena’s pronunciation](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/john-cena-speaking-chinese-and-eating-ice-cream-bing-chilling). It comes from 冰淇淋 instead of the other way around.
kyc
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-19T12:50:48.320Z
Sometimes 雪糕, (which is more descriptive), is used in place of 冰淇淋.
Wayne Cheah
<etymology>
Etymology of 冰淇淋
# Etymology of 冰淇淋

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-06-14)

Is 冰淇淋 a partial calque of English "ice cream"?

* "ice" ⠀⠀`lit.` 冰
* /kɹiːm/ `phon.` 淇淋

If not, what is the etymology of 淇淋?

**Tags:** etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, it seems so. I would try to frame the question as in another way: What makes you believe that 冰淇淋 *isn't* a partial calque?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I assumed so but a friend told me they believed it came from English "chilling" not "cream", when I searched online I couldn't find anything definitive.  
> **username_2**: “Bing chilling” went viral due to [John Cena’s pronunciation](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/john-cena-speaking-chinese-and-eating-ice-cream-bing-chilling). It comes from 冰淇淋 instead of the other way around.  
> **username_3**: Sometimes 雪糕, (which is more descriptive), is used in place of 冰淇淋.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-06-14. Score: 1

ice cream中的**cream**的意思就是奶油，而奶油的另一个名称就是**麦淇淋(Margarine)**，人们为了简化，于是就去掉了“麦”字，再加上ice（冰）。因此，冰淇淋这个名字就是这么样得来的。

<https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1999137538382287067.html?qbl=relate_question_1>


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-06-19. Score: 1

淇淋 is a borrow word turned regular vocab.

冰 is the regular ice word in chinese. 淇淋 is a borrow word and directly saying the english word cream in chinese-- not in mandarin but in cantonese originally. cantonese pronunciation of these characters is basically kaylam in sound which is quite similar to cream out loud ((R sound does not exist in cantonese hence L)).

This borrow word then entered the regular chinese vocabularly overall, probably through the internet and increased intercommunication of different chinese regions in general. (◐‿◑)﻿

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: cream in Cantonese is 忌廉, a bit similar to 淇淋, but not close enough imho.  
> **username_7**: The term 冰淇淋 was already very popular in the 70's Taiwan, long before the invention of the Internet.  
> **username_5**: @username_6 忌廉 and 淇淋 are both different ways of writing cream as a borrow word into cantonese, only difference is the first letter being a cantonese k or cantonese g sound.  
> **username_5**: @username_7  I do believe the internet drastically increased the amount and distance of local area vocab, but it was definitely possible for vocab to spread before the internet was around.  Considering proximity and decent canto population in taiwan its totally normal it has been there for quite some time.  This would have been a borrow word to cantonese probably in the 1800s.  

---

