madeleine

See also Madeleine

English

WOTD – 6 May 2008    

Two madeleines (small gateaux)

Wikipedia

Etymology

From French madeleine, earlier gâteau à la Madeleine, of uncertain origin; attributed in some sources to a 19th-century pastry cook Madeleine Paulmier whose existence is now considered dubious. (Compare Oxford English Dictionary, Trésor de la Langue Française)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈmadəlɪn/, /madˈlɛn/
• (US) IPA: /ˈmædəlɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

madeleine (plural madeleines)

1. A small gateau or sponge cake, often shaped like an elongated scallop shell.
   • 1981, CK Scott Moncrieff & Terence Kilmartin, translating Marcel Proust, Swann's Way, Folio Society 2005, p. 44:

     And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray [...] my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane.

   • 2003, Emily Luchetti, A Passion for Desserts, Chronicle Books 2003, p. 20:

     Madeleine batter can be made in advance and refrigerated.

2. Something which brings back a memory; a source of nostalgia or evocative memories (used with reference to its function in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time).
   • 2001, James Carroll, Constantine's Sword, Houghton-Mifflin 2001, p. 223:

     The Robe was thus fixed in my mind as a symbol, and in my memory as a madeleine, of Jewish evil.

   • 2005, Roger Ebert, Rogert Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2005, p. 784:

     Every five years or so, in the middle of another task, I'll look at them and a particular cover will bring memory flooding back like a madeleine.

Translations

small gateau

• Finnish: madeleine (fi), ‎madeleine-leivos
• French: madeleine (fr) f
• Korean: 마들렌 (ko)

• Spanish: magdalena (es) f

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Finnish

Noun

madeleine

1. madeleine

Declension

Declension of madeleine (type nalle) singular plural nominative madeleine madeleinet genitive madeleinen madeleinejen madeleinein1 partitive madeleinea madeleineja accusative madeleine madeleinen madeleinet inessive madeleinessa madeleineissa elative madeleinesta madeleineista illative madeleineen madeleineihin adessive madeleinella madeleineilla ablative madeleinelta madeleineilta allative madeleinelle madeleineille essive madeleinena madeleineina translative madeleineksi madeleineiksi instructive – madeleinein abessive madeleinetta madeleineitta comitative – madeleineineen 1) Rare.

Synonyms

• madeleine-leivos

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA: /madlɛn/

Noun

madeleine f (plural madeleines)

1. (cooking) madeleine