potatiskorv (Swedish)
Where does "potatiskorv" come from?
The Swedish word 'potatiskorv' is a clear compound, combining 'potatis' (potato) and 'korv' (sausage). While 'korv' traces back through Old Swedish to the Proto-Germanic *kurbiz, linked to the roots of cutting or carving, 'potatis' has a more global journey, originating from the Taíno word 'batata' before traveling through Spanish and English into Swedish. Together, this term describes a traditional sausage that literally translates to a 'potato sausage'.
Full etymology tree
- potatiskorv (Swedish), 'a boiled sausage consisting of beef, pork, raw potatoes and onions'
- compound potatis (Swedish), 'a potato (tuber of Solanum tuberosum)'
- inherited potatoes (English), 'plural of potato'
- inherited patata (Spanish), 'potato'
- derived batata (Taíno), 'sweet potato'
- inherited patata (Spanish), 'potato'
- inherited potatoes (English), 'plural of potato'
- compound korv (Swedish), 'a sausage'
- inherited korver (Old Swedish)
- inherited kurfr (Old Norse)
- inherited *kurbiz (Proto-Germanic), 'a cut'
- derived *gerbʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to carve'
- inherited *kurbiz (Proto-Germanic), 'a cut'
- inherited kurfr (Old Norse)
- inherited korver (Old Swedish)
- compound potatis (Swedish), 'a potato (tuber of Solanum tuberosum)'
Ancestors
- potatis (Swedish)
- korv (Swedish)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris