プルコギ

불고기 (bulgogi) is the Korean source form behind プルコギ. Merriam-Webster analyzes English bulgogi from Korean pul, fire, plus kogi, meat or beef, and gives 1961 as its first English use. Korean spelling uses 불 for bul and 고기 for gogi. The name refers to a Korean dish of thin sliced, marinated meat, often beef, cooked on a grill or pan. Japanese borrowed プルコギ as Korean cuisine vocabulary through yakiniku restaurants, Korean restaurants, packaged sauces, and home-cooking magazines. Kotobank's Digital Daijisen defines it as a Korean grilled beef dish with meat marinated in sauce and cooked on a grill or iron plate. It appears near other food loans such as カルビ, サムギョプサル, キムチ, and ビビンバ. Today プルコギ in Japan often means sweet soy-based beef with onions, carrots, mushrooms, or glass noodles, sometimes closer to a stir-fry than table barbecue. English bulgogi is often explained as Korean barbecue, but Japanese menus may use プルコギ丼, プルコギ弁当, or プルコギのたれ for home dishes. The Korean components remain transparent: 불 is fire and 고기 is meat. Example: 昼にプルコギ丼を食べた.