ratafia
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Borrowed from Creole French ratafia, from the Latin phrase rata fiat (conventio) (“the deal is made”), a drinking toast expression to celebrate a deal or an agreement. Or, sharing an Arabic origin with arak.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]ratafia (countable and uncountable, plural ratafias)
- A liqueur or cordial flavored with peach or cherry kernels, bitter almonds, or other fruits.
- Hyponym: amaretto
- 1839, William Makepeace Thackeray, Catherine: A Story[1]:
- “Stop that there infernal screeching!” said a couple of ladies, who were sipping ratafia in company with two pretty fellows.
- 2007 August 29, Pete Wells, “Bottling the Bounty of the Season”, in New York Times[2]:
- Steeped cucumber ratafia with Pimm's and Sprite is garnished with a squash blossom at T'afia in Houston.
- (countable) A kind of biscuit made with ratafia essence and almond or apricot kernels.
- Synonym: ratafia biscuit
- 1864, George Eliot, chapter II, in Brother Jacob[3]:
- Mrs. Chaloner ordered wine-biscuits and olives, and gave Mr. Freely to understand that she should find his shop a great convenience. So did the doctor’s wife, and so did Mrs. Gate, at the large carding-mill, who, having high connexions frequently visiting her, might be expected to have a large consumption of ratafias and macaroons.
Translations
[edit]liqueur
References
[edit]- James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Ratafia”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.
Further reading
[edit]- ratafia on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Ratafia in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
Catalan
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]ratafia f (plural ratafies)
Further reading
[edit]- “ratafia” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
- “ratafia” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
French
[edit]Etymology
[edit](This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]ratafia m (plural ratafias)
- ratafia
- 1915 [1906], Frédéric Mistral, Mes Origines[4]:
- Monsieur Aubanel, cria le curé de Méthamis, libraire et imprimeur de notre Saint Père le Pape! Jacomone, Jacomone! apporte vite les petits verres, que nous buvions une goutte de ratafia de Goult à la santé de l’Almanach provençal et des félibres!
- "Mr Aubanel," cried the parish priest of Méthamis, "bookseller and printer of our Holy Father the Pope! Jacomone, Jacomone! Bring the small glasses quickly; let us drink a drop of ratafia from Goult [a commune in the Vaucluse department] to the health of the Provençal Almanac and the félibres [members of a fellowship promoting the literature and culture of Provence]!"
Further reading
[edit]- “ratafia”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Portuguese
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]
- Hyphenation: ra‧ta‧fi‧a
Noun
[edit]ratafia f (plural ratafias)
Further reading
[edit]- “ratafia”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from French
- English terms derived from French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Arabic
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/iːə
- Rhymes:English/iːə/4 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- en:Liqueurs
- Catalan terms borrowed from French
- Catalan terms derived from French
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan nouns
- Catalan countable nouns
- Catalan feminine nouns
- ca:Liqueurs
- French 3-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- French terms with quotations
- fr:Liqueurs
- Portuguese terms borrowed from French
- Portuguese terms derived from French
- Portuguese 4-syllable words
- Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese nouns
- Portuguese countable nouns
- Portuguese feminine nouns