tamale

Where does the word "tamale" come from? It comes from Nahuatl tamalli, passing through Spanish before entering English (1800s).

Tamale’s story begins in Nahuatl: tamalli meant “wrapped cornmeal dough.” A filled and wrapped cornmeal dough. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as tamal. The Aztecs ate tamales at festivals; English 'tamale' came from mistaking 'tamal' plural 'tamales'. It reached English by 1800s as tamale. Reanalyzed the Spanish plural "tamales" as a singular "tamale". Today, tamale means a Mexican dish of seasoned meat or filling wrapped in cornmeal dough and steamed.

1. Stage 1 · Nahuatl · pre-1500s tamalli "wrapped cornmeal dough", a filled and wrapped cornmeal dough.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s tamal "tamale", the Aztecs ate tamales at festivals; English 'tamale' came from mistaking 'tamal' plural 'tamales'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s tamale "a wrapped, steamed cornmeal dish", reanalyzed the Spanish plural "tamales" as a singular "tamale".