You Say Batata

When the conversation flags at the Thanksgiving table, leap in with this:

Potato came into English via the Spanish patata, a version of the word used by the Taino peoples of the Caribbean for the sweet potato, batata. The Peruvian Quechua word for the true potato of the Andes was papa. Yam comes via Portuguese from a West African word meaning “to eat.”

Source: On Food and Cooking (2004 edition), Harold McGee’s authoritative, nearly 900-page reference book.

Spanish borrowed both patata and papa; generally speaking, it’s patata in Iberian Spanish (e.g., patatas bravas) and papa in the Americas (e.g., papas a la huancaina, a traditional Peruvian dish). Take care with papa, though: when it’s capitalized it may mean “pope.”

And speaking of yams, here’s McGee on the page following the passage I cite above:

True yams are starchy tubers of tropical plants that are related to the grasses and lilies, a dozen or so cultivated species of Dioscorea from Africa, South America, and the Pacific with varying sizes, textures, colors, and flavors. They are seldom seen in mainstream American markets, where “yam” means a sugary orange sweet potato. … True yams can grow to 100 lb/50 kg and more, and in the Pacific islands have been honored with their own little houses.

McGee also writes about food for the New York Times and for his own blog, Curious Cook.

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P.S. McGee has nothing to say about Pilgrahoan, a virtual Mr. Potato Head-esque game sponsored by Idahoan Foods, “the industry leader in instant mashed potatoes.” Create a potato face, save the image, and receive a $1-off coupon. As for the “Pilgrahoan” name, the good news is it’ll be short-lived.

Comments

[Gaston]

Fortunately, it's not just the capital that distinguishes the pope from a potato. The papa as a starchy tuberous crop is feminine, as you would expect from a Spanish word ending in -a, whereas in its role as the holy father it is masculine, as can be expected from a Spanish noun denoting a male, regardless of his attire.

[David Craig]

Plus el Papa, referring to the Pope, is from Greek and, like several other Latin words from Greek, e.g., poeta, nauta or agricola has an -a ending but is masculine.