different between tamale vs tamal

English

Etymology

Back-formation from the plural tamales, from Spanish tamales, plural of tamal, from Nahuatl tamalli (“wrapped”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??m?.li/
• Homophone: tomalley

Noun

tamale (plural tamales)

1. Mexican dish of cornmeal dough shell filled with various ingredients (e.g. chopped beef, pork, sweet filling) then steamed in corn husks.

Usage notes

The Standard Spanish singular is tamal, and thus some proscribe tamale as an incorrect back-formation, preferring to use tamal as the English singular. The similarity of tamale to the ancestral Nahuatl tamalli is not generally cited in support of the English usage of tamale as its spelling does not match with the Nahuatl spelling and the word originally entered via Spanish in the form of "tamales".

Synonyms

• humita
• tamal

Derived terms

• hot tamale

Related terms

• tamalera

Translations

Anagrams

• malate, meatal

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ta?male/, [t?a?ma.le]

Noun

tamale m (plural tamales)

1. (dialect) tamale

Derived terms

• tamalera
• tamaleada
• tamalito

Related terms

• tamal

English

Etymology

From Spanish tamal, from Nahuatl tamalli (“wrapped”).

Noun

tamal (plural tamales)

1. Alternative form of tamale (Mexican food dish).
   • 1911, Coffee and Tea Industries and the Flavor Field, Vol. 34, p. 497

     I fully recognize the excellence of the tamal of the gringos. It is a superb standby for picknickers, prospectors, camping-outers, school children, and factory lunches.

   • 2000, Bruce Geddes, Mexico, p.43

     Someone from Campeche may brag about a tamal made there with a salsa of guajillo chiles, axiote (a regional spice), jitomate...

   • 2007, Robin S. Goldstein, Fearless Critic Houston Restaurant Guide: Brutally Honest Undercover Chefs and Food Writers Rate More Than 400 Places to Eat, page 314

     Ask for Salvadoran crema to accompany whichever you choose; it's thick and somewhat akin to sour cream, and you'll get that much more pleasure from your tamal.

Usage notes

The form tamal is preferred by some to tamale, as tamal is the Standard Spanish singular form while tamale is generally analyzed as a back-formation from the plural tamales, thus proscribed. Note however that tamale exists in Spanish dialect.

Synonyms

• tamale

Anagrams

• Malta, malta, talma

Cahuilla

Noun

támal (plural támlem)

1. mouth
2. tooth

Derived terms

• tamakéñish

Guugu Yimidhirr

Noun

tamal

1. Alternative spelling of dhamal

Ometepec Nahuatl

Noun

tamal

1. tamal

Pipil

Etymology

From Proto-Uto-Aztecan *t?ma. Compare Classical Nahuatl tamalli (“tamale”)

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /?tamal/
• (Teotepeque) IPA^(key): /?tama?/
• (Tacuba) IPA^(key): /?ta?mal/

Noun

tamal (plural tajtamal)

1. tortilla

See also

• tashkal (tortilla made of tender corn)

Sambali

Noun

tamál

1. poison

Spanish

Alternative forms

• tamale (dialectal)

Etymology

From Classical Nahuatl tamalli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ta?mal/, [t?a?mal]

Noun

tamal m (plural tamales)

1. (Central America, Mexico) tamal, tamale
2. (Central America, Mexico) bundle, clumsy package
3. (Central America, Mexico) embroilment, imbroglio

   Synonyms: embrollo, lío

Derived terms

• tamal pisque

Related terms

• nacatamal
• nixtamal

Descendants

• English: tamal, tamale

See also

• hallaca
• huma, humita

Uzbek

Noun

tamal (plural tamallar)

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