[2] Due to the loss of the vowel ɑ (ㆍ) as well as syllable-initial consonant clusters, the word became chapssal with the syllable boundary between coda p and onset ss.

Tteok is derived from the Middle Korean sdeok (), which appears in Worin seokbo, a 1459 biography and eulogy of the Buddha.

[4][5] The word chaltteok is a compound consisting of the attributive adjective chal (찰), meaning "glutinous," and tteok.

[6] Chal is derived from the Middle Korean chɑl (), and the word chɑlsdeok () appears in Geumganggyeong Samga hae, a 1482 book on the Diamond Sūtra.

[1][2] In most cases, however, the words are used interchangeably, as tteok is most often made with glutinous or non-glutinous rice.