lagniappe

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“
Spanish contributed l'agniappe (or lagniappe), meaning ` something extra, 'via ñapa.

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Definitions (4)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer's purchase.
  2. noun Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot2. See Regional Note at beignet.
  3. Regional Note
    Lagniappe derives from New World Spanish la ñapa, "the gift,” and ultimately from Quechua yapay, "to give more.” The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean "an extra or unexpected gift or benefit.”

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Examples

  • Spanish contributed l'agniappe (or lagniappe), meaning ` something extra, 'via ñapa. —  VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol XI No 3
  • NEW ORLEANS -- A perfect record would have been lagniappe, as they say in Louisiana -- a little something extra. —  ESPN.com
  • NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A perfect record would have been lagniappe, as they say in Louisiana - a little something extra.
  • NEW ORLEANS - A perfect record would have been lagniappe, as they say in Louisiana - a little something extra. —  StarTribune.com rss feed
  • - A perfect record would have been lagniappe, as they say in Louisiana - a little something extra. —  StarTribune.com rss feed
 

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Lagniappe has been looked up 591 times, favorited 11 times, listed 73 times, and commented on 7 times.

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Etymologies (1)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Louisiana French, from American Spanish la ñapa, the gift : la, the (from Latin illa, feminine of ille, that, the; see al-1 in Indo-European roots) + ñapa (variant of yapa, gift, from Quechua, from yapay, to give more).
 

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