Word Origin & History
soy
1679, saio "sauce for fish, made from soybeans," from Du. soya, from Japanese soyu, variant of shoyu "soy," from Chinese shi-yu, from shi "fermented soy beans" + yu "oil." Etymology reflects Dutch presence in Japan long before English merchants began to trade there. Soybean is attested from 1795. Soyaburger is attested from 1953.