Tamalli
/taˈmal.li/noun
A traditional Mesoamerican food made from seasoned maize dough, often filled, wrapped, and steamed in a leaf.
Did you know?Tamalli is the Classical Nahuatl ancestor of English tamale, and its plural form tamalli referred to multiple wrapped maize preparations.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Proto-Nahuan
*tamalli
“Reconstructed ancestor associated with a wrapped or enclosed food preparation”
16th Century
Classical Nahuatl
tamalli
“A maize-dough food, typically wrapped and cooked by steaming”
16th Century
Spanish
tamalli / tamal
“A Nahuatl food name adopted by Spanish speakers in Mesoamerica”
17th–18th Century
Spanish
tamal
“A steamed maize-dough preparation, commonly filled and wrapped”
19th Century
Mexican Spanish
tamal
“A regional staple made from corn dough and fillings, wrapped in leaves”
Modern English
English
tamale
“A steamed, filled corn-dough preparation wrapped in a husk or leaf”