Regarding the 10/20/09 word Mendicant, meaning beggar and also referring to four Catholic monastic orders. Mendicant (alternative Mendiant) is also the name of a small disk or bar of chocolate which has been sprinkled with dried fruit or nuts. In France, chocolate mendicants are part of the 13 desserts of Noel. From http://chocolateandzucchini.com: "Among these are the four "mendiants" (beggars), symbolizing four mendicant monastic orders and the color of their robes: raisins for the Dominicans, hazelnuts for the Augustins, dried figs for the Franciscans, and almonds for the Carmelites."
I am interested in the relationship between three words: Mendicant, Mendiant, Mendinant. The candy is called variously Mendicant or Mendiant. Both words are used in a Wikipedia definition: "A mendiant is a traditional French confection...representing the four mendicant or monastic orders." When I search the definition for Mendiant, I am sent to Mendinant, which is defined in Webster's as "a mendicant, or begging friar."
Can someone explain the difference between these three words to me? I am particularly interested in whether the candy is most properly known as Mendicant or Mendiant.