3 ms·

"masa" literally means dough. There's nothing unique about the word. I get using "tortilla" which has a very specific meaning, but "masa"? There's a perfectly

by juancn 5y ago

"masa" literally means dough. There's nothing unique about the word. I get using "tortilla" which has a very specific meaning, but "masa"? There's a perfectly good, common english word that means exactly the same. I don't know, it kind of rubs me the wrong way.

fouc 5y ago
Masa (or masa de maíz) (English: /ˈmɑːsə/; Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmasa]) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masa
- juancn 5y ago
  It applies to any flour based dough. Not just corn. "masa de maiz" literally means "corn dough". I'm a native spanish speaker BTW. I get all the nuances.
  - alamortsubite 5y ago
    I'm not a native speaker, but I was also expecting a totally different article from the title. I'm surprised more people didn't find it jarring!
mc32 5y ago
Eh, English likes coöptimg words and takes broad meanings and turns them to specific meanings. Like “bouillon” and many many others.
analyte123 5y ago
Wait until you hear about how "corn" just means grain, or used to anyway. Or how "flour" tortillas are actually always wheat flour.
alamortsubite 5y ago
Behold the native Spanish speaker from somewhere other than Mexico or Central America.
dragonwriter 5y ago
> "masa" literally means dough. And “salsa” literally means “sauce”, and so does “mole”. Yet, when used outside of their source language (which includes in Spanish for “mole”), they take on a different meaning and, even without qualification, they each often have a contextually-special meaning when used in particulsr contexts even in the source language (well, I don't know that from experience for “mole”, not having a lot of experience around native Nahuatl speakers, but its definitely true of salsa as well as masa.) > I get using "tortilla" which has a very specific meaning, but "masa"? There's a perfectly good, common english word that means exactly the same. The use of unqualified “masa” in English to refer to “masa (harina) de maiz” is taken fairly directly from the fact that native Spanish speakers in the USA use it that way. And there are words with close meanings in English to even that (cornmeal, cornflour—in American English, but not elsewhere where that refers to what Americans call “cornstarch”), but not exactly the same practical mmeaning, and the difference matters.
twalla 5y ago
Even tortilla has a different (delicious) meaning[1] when you compare Mexican/Central American Spanish to Spanish Spanish. 1. https://www.seriouseats.com/tortilla-espanola-spanish-potato-omelette-recipe https://www.seriouseats.com/tortilla-espanola-spanish-potato...
Spivak 5y ago
And harina just means flour so masa harina just means "the flour for dough" but there isn't another word that has caught on for flour made from hominy. You could start the trend of calling it "hominy flour" or "alkaline cornflour" but it would have to overcome the inertia of English speakers knowing it as masa.

by juancn 5y ago

fouc 5y ago

Masa (or masa de maíz) (English: /ˈmɑːsə/; Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmasa]) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masa

juancn 5y ago
It applies to any flour based dough. Not just corn. "masa de maiz" literally means "corn dough". I'm a native spanish speaker BTW. I get all the nuances.
- alamortsubite 5y ago
  I'm not a native speaker, but I was also expecting a totally different article from the title. I'm surprised more people didn't find it jarring!

mc32 5y ago

Eh, English likes coöptimg words and takes broad meanings and turns them to specific meanings. Like “bouillon” and many many others.

analyte123 5y ago

Wait until you hear about how "corn" just means grain, or used to anyway. Or how "flour" tortillas are actually always wheat flour.

alamortsubite 5y ago

Behold the native Spanish speaker from somewhere other than Mexico or Central America.

dragonwriter 5y ago

> "masa" literally means dough. And “salsa” literally means “sauce”, and so does “mole”. Yet, when used outside of their source language (which includes in Spanish for “mole”), they take on a different meaning and, even without qualification, they each often have a contextually-special meaning when used in particulsr contexts even in the source language (well, I don't know that from experience for “mole”, not having a lot of experience around native Nahuatl speakers, but its definitely true of salsa as well as masa.) > I get using "tortilla" which has a very specific meaning, but "masa"? There's a perfectly good, common english word that means exactly the same. The use of unqualified “masa” in English to refer to “masa (harina) de maiz” is taken fairly directly from the fact that native Spanish speakers in the USA use it that way. And there are words with close meanings in English to even that (cornmeal, cornflour—in American English, but not elsewhere where that refers to what Americans call “cornstarch”), but not exactly the same practical mmeaning, and the difference matters.

twalla 5y ago

Even tortilla has a different (delicious) meaning[1] when you compare Mexican/Central American Spanish to Spanish Spanish. 1. https://www.seriouseats.com/tortilla-espanola-spanish-potato-omelette-recipe https://www.seriouseats.com/tortilla-espanola-spanish-potato...

Spivak 5y ago

And harina just means flour so masa harina just means "the flour for dough" but there isn't another word that has caught on for flour made from hominy. You could start the trend of calling it "hominy flour" or "alkaline cornflour" but it would have to overcome the inertia of English speakers knowing it as masa.