falafel
UK[fəˈlɑːf(ə)l]US[fəˈlɑːfəl]
n
A Middle Eastern food consisting of spiced, ground chickpeas or fava beans that are formed into balls or patties and deep-fried.
Etymology
The word 'falafel' entered English in the mid-20th century as a direct borrowing from the Arabic word 'falāfil' (فلافل). This Arabic term is likely a plural form of 'filfil', meaning 'pepper', which itself was borrowed from Persian. The semantic shift from 'pepper' to the name of the fried bean dish is thought to reflect the originally spicy, peppery seasoning of the food. The dish, and consequently its name, spread from Egypt and the Levant across the globe, with the English spelling standardizing to represent the Arabic pronunciation.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Arabic. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into productive morphemes within the English spelling system.
Examples
We stopped at a food truck to share a pita stuffed with fresh falafel and tahini sauce.
For a vegetarian option, the menu features a falafel wrap with salad and hummus.
Making homemade falafel requires dried chickpeas, herbs, and spices.