Project Director

Strickland, Brandee

Department Examiner

Purkey, Lynn C.

Department

Dept. of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

This study explores the dialectal variations of food-related terms across the Spanish-speaking world, emphasizing their multilingual etymological origins. Using etymological dictionaries and sociolinguistic sources, the study categorizes food-related lexical variants into five main root language groups: Arabic/Afro-Asiatic/European, Pre-Columbian Caribbean, Mesoamerican, South American, and unknown or unique origins. The findings represent the persistence of Indigenous influence, the impact of Arabic on Peninsular Spanish, the development of Spanish from Latin, and the role of analogy and adaptation in naming unfamiliar items, illustrating the dynamic and complex relationship between language, culture, and history.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Brandee Strickland, for her invaluable guidance and dedication to my success. Her support and encouragement throughout the length of this research have made a small passion of mine flourish into an academic milestone. Her commitment to me and my growth as a student is something I will always remember and hopefully pay forward sometime in the future. The experience, integrity, and dedication that she displays to the discipline of language and linguistics is something I will use to guide my studies for the rest of my career in this field. I am also thankful to my other committee member, Department Head, Dr. Lynn Purkey for pushing for constant success and giving me confidence in my work. Together they have given me the academic environment and resources to excel in this project. A special thanks to all my friends and peers, who I am grateful to have in my life, for their interest in my success and moral support. Lastly, with all my heart and dedication, my family. I am forever grateful for their unwavering love, patience, acceptance, and complete belief in me during every step of this journey. Grandma, Janice Abele (Crisafi), your strength through hardships and adversity is the only reason I can pursue my dreams and say thank you today. Mom, Dawn Muccino, your work ethic and persistence in my growth has shaped me into the person I am today.

Degree

B. A.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Date

5-2025

Subject

Language and culture; Linguistic geography; Sociolinguistics; Spanish language--Dialects; Spanish language--Etymology; Spanish-speaking countries

Keyword

Dialects;Spanish;Etymology;Sociolingusitcs;Food Variants;Food Lexicon

Discipline

Spanish Linguistics

Document Type

Theses

Extent

v, 39 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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