empanada
UK[ˌem.pəˈnɑː.də]US[ˌem.pəˈnɑː.də]
n
A baked or fried pastry turnover of Spanish or Latin American origin, filled with a variety of savory ingredients like meat, cheese, or vegetables.
Etymology
The word 'empanada' entered English directly from Spanish, where it is the past participle of the verb 'empanar', meaning "to wrap in bread" or "to coat with bread." This Spanish verb itself is formed from the prefix 'en-' (a variant of 'in-', meaning "in") and 'pan', meaning "bread," from Latin 'panis'. Thus, the literal core meaning is "enbreaded" or "encased in bread." The culinary concept traveled from Spain to Latin America during colonization, where it evolved into diverse regional varieties. English adopted the term in the 20th century to describe this specific, internationally recognized food item, retaining its original Spanish form and culinary essence.
Analysis
This word is a loanword from Spanish and is not productively segmented using English morphemes. Its internal structure belongs to its source language.
Examples
For lunch, I had a delicious beef empanada with a side of chimichurri sauce.
The bakery specializes in traditional Argentine empanadas filled with ground beef, olives, and hard-boiled eggs.
We made a batch of cheese and spinach empanadas for the party.