fettuccine
UK[ˌfɛtʊˈtʃiːni]US[ˌfɛtəˈtʃini]
n
a type of pasta made in long, flat, narrow strips.
Etymology
the word 'fettuccine' is a direct borrowing from italian, entering english in the early 20th century. it is the plural diminutive form of the italian word 'fettuccia', meaning 'ribbon' or 'little strip', which itself derives from 'fetta', meaning 'slice' or 'strip'. the term literally translates to 'little ribbons', which is a perfect visual description of the pasta's shape. this etymological journey from a general word for a strip to a specific culinary term illustrates how language concretizes abstract descriptions for everyday objects.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from italian. it is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes within the english spelling system.
Examples
for dinner, we had homemade fettuccine alfredo.
the fresh fettuccine cooks much faster than the dried variety.
she rolled and cut the pasta dough into perfect strands of fettuccine.