tamal

See also: támal

English

Two tamales.

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

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Cahuilla

Noun

támal (plural támlem)

1. mouth
2. tooth

Derived terms

• tamakéñish
• tamawet

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Central Nahuatl

Noun

tamal

1. tamale.

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Coatepec Nahuatl

Noun

tamal

1. tamale.

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Guugu Yimidhirr

Noun

tamal

1. Alternative spelling of dhamal

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Ometepec Nahuatl

Noun

tamal

1. tamal

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Pipil

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtamal/
• IPA^(key): /ˈtamaɬ/
• IPA^(key): /ˈtaːmal/

Noun

tamal (plural tajtamal)

1. tortilla

   Nikwa ume tamal sejsenpa kwak nitakwa

   I eat two tortillas every time I have a meal

See also

• tashkal (tortilla made of tender corn)

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Sambali

Noun

tamál

1. poison

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Spanish

Alternative forms

• tamale (dialectal)

Etymology

From Classical Nahuatl tamalli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taˈmal/ [t̪aˈmal]

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

Further reading

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

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Uzbek

Other scripts
Cyrillic	тамал‍
Latin	tamal‍
Perso-Arabic

Noun

tamal (plural tamallar)

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