shampoo (English)
Where does "shampoo" come from?
The word 'shampoo' originated in the mid-18th century from the Hindi word 'cā̃po,' which is the imperative form of 'cā̃pnā,' meaning to press or knead. It originally described a traditional Indian body massage using warm water and herbal extracts. Over time, the term migrated into English and evolved from the action of massaging the head to the liquid product used specifically for washing hair.
Full etymology tree
- shampoo (English), 'A traditional Indian and Persian body massage given after pouring warm water over the body and rubbing it with extracts from herbs.'
- borrowed चाँपो (cā̃po) (Hindi), 'inflection of चाँपना (cā̃pnā):'
- derived चाँपना (cā̃pnā) (Hindi), 'to press, to squeeze, to knead'
- inherited चंपइ (caṃpaï) (Prakrit), 'Devanagari script form of 𑀘𑀁𑀧𑀇 (“presses”)'
- derived चाँपना (cā̃pnā) (Hindi), 'to press, to squeeze, to knead'
- borrowed चाँपो (cā̃po) (Hindi), 'inflection of चाँपना (cā̃pnā):'
Direct ancestors
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris