mazapán

Spanish

Etymology

Two possible theories:

• From Old Spanish [Term?], from Andalusian Arabic بسمة, from Ancient Greek παξαμάδιον (paxamádion, “cookie”), with influence from masa (“mass”) and pan (“bread”).
• From Italian marzapane, thought to be derived from Arabic مَرْطَبَان (marṭabān, “spice box”), from Martaban (မုတ္ထမ (muthta.ma.)), a Burmese port known for its spice exports, with influence from Italian pane.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /maθaˈpan/ [ma.θaˈpãn]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /masaˈpan/ [ma.saˈpãn]
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: ma‧za‧pán

Noun

mazapán m (plural mazapanes)

1. marzipan (confection made with almond paste, or another nut such as peanut)

Further reading

• “mazapán”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014