kalamay

Cebuano

Etymology

In many Visayan languages (particularly Hiligaynon), it is synonymous with 'sugar'.

The word is usually elided to kamay in modern Cebuano dialects. From kamay, a regional variation of the word kalamay ("sugar").

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kalamay (sticky confection made of rice and coconut). Compare Iban kelami (a cake or pudding made of rice flour or sugar) and Malay kelamai (a type of Malay cake)

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ka‧la‧may

Noun

kalamay

1. (dialectal, chiefly Sialo, Bohol) sugar

   Synonyms: asukar, kamay, kinugay, sentral.

2. dish of ground sticky rice, cooked in brown sugar and coconut milk