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buntàta as the Scots Gaelic...
Irish Gaelic as potáta or fataidhe.
These words all have an obvious derivation from the Spanish patata, which makes sense given that the Spanish originally brought the potato to Europe from South America. But it made me curious about the original name, presumably given by the Incas or a predecessor people.
AHD yielded the following:
Spanish patata, alteration (probably influenced by Quechua papa, white potato) of Taino batata, sweet potato.
Now, I know a little about indigenous languages of Central and South America (and I emphasize, a little), but I had never heard of Taino. So, I looked it up in AHD and was surprised to discover that it is the origin language for a surprising number of words common today (and that it comes from the Arawak people of the Bahamas and the Antilles): savannah, cay, yucca, hammock, mangrove, cassava, hurricane, and barbecue.
So when the Antipodeans toss some prawns on the barby, they are using an Antillean word. Who ever would have thought that the language of a now-extinct people on a smallish group of islands dominated for centuries by the Spanish would have contributed so many words to English? Kind of makes me interested in words, ya know?
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Dublin Coddle Father Steve 05/28/02 03:03 AM Re: Dublin Coddle Angel 05/28/02 04:50 AM Re: Dublin Coddle zootsuit 05/28/02 06:32 AM Colcannon Father Steve 05/28/02 12:19 PM Re: Colcannon Wordwind 05/28/02 12:23 PM Re: Bubble and squeak dxb 05/28/02 04:03 PM Re: Colcannon Father Steve 05/28/02 07:02 PM Re: Colcannon Wordwind 05/28/02 07:35 PM Mollycoddle Father Steve 05/29/02 03:08 AM Re: Dublin Coddle AnnaStrophic 05/28/02 09:07 AM Re: Dublin Coddle wwh 05/28/02 12:29 PM Re: Dublin Coddle slithy toves 05/28/02 01:48 PM Re: Dublin Coddle of troy 05/28/02 04:09 PM Re: Dublin Coddle Bean 05/28/02 06:24 PM Re: Jiggs' Dinner Bobyoungbalt 05/29/02 02:49 AM Post deleted by SilkMuse SilkMuse 05/28/02 04:26 PM Re: Praties Faldage 05/28/02 04:55 PM Re: Praties Hyla 05/28/02 06:29 PM Re: Praties Faldage 05/28/02 07:01 PM Re: Dublin Coddle Faldage 05/28/02 03:33 PM Re: Dublin Coddle AnnaStrophic 05/28/02 03:49 PM
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