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This is a very confusing article.
It begins by saying Lagniappe is a "French/Spanish loanword" (So it's a French word or it's a Spanish word borrowed by, presumably, English speakers.)
Then it says it's a "Louisiana French word, derived from American Spanish" (So does that mean that, despite the previous sentence saying it's a French word, it's not really French but used by those who speak French in Louisiana? Or does it mean that it's not really Spanish but derived from the Spanish spoken in America?)
Then it says it has been "traced back to the Quechua word yapa or nyap". (So does that mean that its origin is after all neither French nor Spanish but Quechan?)
Then there's a quote from Mark Twain, who is quoted as saying that he'd heard it was of Spanish origin.
It seems unlikely that its origin is French. It doesn't look French and it doesn't appear in the Hachette Oxford Grand Dictionnaire. The article List_of_English_words_of_Quechuan_origin says that the word is Quechan and was adopted by U.S. English speakers via French Creole. (Note that saying it was used by French Creole speakers doesn't make it French any more than words used by pidgin speakers qualify as English words.)
This text gives no clear guidance on what the etymology of the word is. But the information available in various articles suggests that it may be a Quechan word, adopted by Creole and thence into English. It may also be the case that Mark Twain, famous and interesting as he may be, is wrong to surmise that it may be Spanish.
This article needs someone who knows the true story, and can provide the sources to back it up, to do a comprehensive rewrite. Adrian Robson 17:56, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
The word "lagniappe" is an English word used in Lousiana and Mississippi (reference American Heritage Dictionary). "Yapay" is a Quechua verb that is still used today ( http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/translation/quechua/yapay). The Spanish conquered the Incas and established an important presence in Peru (centuries later gold is still being exported). In 1763 Lousiana was ceded to the Spanish. (No references for the last two statements, but look in a history book). So "lagniappe" is a word that comes from Quechua and entered the English language in a multilingual port city. I don't know its history in Trinidad but it could be very similar. The quote from Mark Twain is very interesting because over a hundred years later his description of the word's use could be translated into Spanish and used to describe scenes in the altiplano of Peru. (No reference for this except personal experience as a Louisiana native who has lived in the Andes for five years)
As the preceding comments are old would there be any objection to deleting or achiving them? Another question: since the Trinidadian usage of lagniappe is identical to its use in the US is there any non-political reason to make the distinction of it being used in the Trinidadian dialect. This is something that multiple cultures have in common. Why not say that it is used in Trinidad (the beautiful place) just like it is in New Orleans, that both cultures practice reciprocity and so readily adopted the term. There are also references that call lagniappe a "yatspeak" word; that it is a feature of the New Orleans "dialect". However to include such references would only confuse the reader and cause an unnecessary division. Consider the following quote:
"It is a fact that ‘Traditionally, most people have
regarded languages as ethnic and communicative monoliths, regardless of any regional or other differences between them. By and large we tend to think “to each nation its language”’ (McArthur, 1998:32) This partially explains the Caribbean mindset. Speakers regard the Creole as their own language and the Standard as the property of the British and the American, especially since Anglophone Caribbean territories all passed through stages of being colonized by the
British." (English Today 80, Vol. 20, No. 4 (October 2004). © 2004 Cambridge University Press)
Al Ong 22:20, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
Lagniappe is not from new orleans and do not change the article David Harman is wrong
This article was automatically assessed because at least one article was rated and this bot brought all the other ratings up to at least that level. BetacommandBot 04:36, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
By what I can tell, this article does not at any point discuss the concept itself, but solely the word. According to WP:DICTIONARY, should this be converted over to wiktionary? Pyrosim 06:33, 29 October 2007 (UTC)
This word was recently used in a Slashdot article, and this particular word was highlighted by several readers. Don't be surprised if there are a few vandalisms (as well as positive edits) over the next day or so. Ben Hocking ( talk| contribs) 13:55, 29 October 2007 (UTC)
Antiquarian booksellers ≠ tribe. That citation would be a help. Eagleapex ( talk) 01:19, 16 April 2009 (UTC)
Another confusing aspect in this article is the mention of Southeast Asia followed by a mention of the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. Choonga, while an interesting word to know, has nothing to do with a lagniappe. Furthermore, the Punjab is not in Southeast Asia but South Asia. It seems that these confusing sentences be either removed or rewritten. Tropbavard ( talk) 13:57, 25 June 2009 (UTC)
Along with the other confusions noted here...the introduction says this:
Street vendors, especially vegetable vendors, are expected to throw in a few green chillies or a small bunch of cilantro with a purchase. In Louisiana, the custom has become a traditional gracious gesture, with the bonus typically unexpected — a 'little something extra' not expected or demanded.
So, in quick succession, we call it "expected" once, as well as "traditional", and "not expected / unexpected" twice. Later, the article refers to buyers asking for lagniappe, so there goes "not demanded", too.
This may have a shade of truth if you are familiar with the practice, but that's not sufficient. It's inadequate and senseless as an explanation. I decided to cut the second sentence, and if anyone can add something comprehensible about this, with sources, please do. Ale And Quail ( talk) 01:33, 29 April 2012 (UTC)
Paul Prudhomme, the famous New Orleans creole chef, uses the term in his cookbook to refer to extra tips / stories he appends to certain recipes. He translates it as "something extra" just as with the physical bonus item for a consumer, but he is using it to refer to something that isn't physical suggesting the possible usage of the word is somewhat broader than the article suggests. Thoughts? 12 Sept 2014. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.250.80.193 ( talk) 19:25, 12 September 2014 (UTC)
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This is a definition of a word, should be on wiktionary. PixelBytes ( talk) 16:54, 5 October 2018 (UTC)
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This is a very confusing article.
It begins by saying Lagniappe is a "French/Spanish loanword" (So it's a French word or it's a Spanish word borrowed by, presumably, English speakers.)
Then it says it's a "Louisiana French word, derived from American Spanish" (So does that mean that, despite the previous sentence saying it's a French word, it's not really French but used by those who speak French in Louisiana? Or does it mean that it's not really Spanish but derived from the Spanish spoken in America?)
Then it says it has been "traced back to the Quechua word yapa or nyap". (So does that mean that its origin is after all neither French nor Spanish but Quechan?)
Then there's a quote from Mark Twain, who is quoted as saying that he'd heard it was of Spanish origin.
It seems unlikely that its origin is French. It doesn't look French and it doesn't appear in the Hachette Oxford Grand Dictionnaire. The article List_of_English_words_of_Quechuan_origin says that the word is Quechan and was adopted by U.S. English speakers via French Creole. (Note that saying it was used by French Creole speakers doesn't make it French any more than words used by pidgin speakers qualify as English words.)
This text gives no clear guidance on what the etymology of the word is. But the information available in various articles suggests that it may be a Quechan word, adopted by Creole and thence into English. It may also be the case that Mark Twain, famous and interesting as he may be, is wrong to surmise that it may be Spanish.
This article needs someone who knows the true story, and can provide the sources to back it up, to do a comprehensive rewrite. Adrian Robson 17:56, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
The word "lagniappe" is an English word used in Lousiana and Mississippi (reference American Heritage Dictionary). "Yapay" is a Quechua verb that is still used today ( http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/translation/quechua/yapay). The Spanish conquered the Incas and established an important presence in Peru (centuries later gold is still being exported). In 1763 Lousiana was ceded to the Spanish. (No references for the last two statements, but look in a history book). So "lagniappe" is a word that comes from Quechua and entered the English language in a multilingual port city. I don't know its history in Trinidad but it could be very similar. The quote from Mark Twain is very interesting because over a hundred years later his description of the word's use could be translated into Spanish and used to describe scenes in the altiplano of Peru. (No reference for this except personal experience as a Louisiana native who has lived in the Andes for five years)
As the preceding comments are old would there be any objection to deleting or achiving them? Another question: since the Trinidadian usage of lagniappe is identical to its use in the US is there any non-political reason to make the distinction of it being used in the Trinidadian dialect. This is something that multiple cultures have in common. Why not say that it is used in Trinidad (the beautiful place) just like it is in New Orleans, that both cultures practice reciprocity and so readily adopted the term. There are also references that call lagniappe a "yatspeak" word; that it is a feature of the New Orleans "dialect". However to include such references would only confuse the reader and cause an unnecessary division. Consider the following quote:
"It is a fact that ‘Traditionally, most people have
regarded languages as ethnic and communicative monoliths, regardless of any regional or other differences between them. By and large we tend to think “to each nation its language”’ (McArthur, 1998:32) This partially explains the Caribbean mindset. Speakers regard the Creole as their own language and the Standard as the property of the British and the American, especially since Anglophone Caribbean territories all passed through stages of being colonized by the
British." (English Today 80, Vol. 20, No. 4 (October 2004). © 2004 Cambridge University Press)
Al Ong 22:20, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
Lagniappe is not from new orleans and do not change the article David Harman is wrong
This article was automatically assessed because at least one article was rated and this bot brought all the other ratings up to at least that level. BetacommandBot 04:36, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
By what I can tell, this article does not at any point discuss the concept itself, but solely the word. According to WP:DICTIONARY, should this be converted over to wiktionary? Pyrosim 06:33, 29 October 2007 (UTC)
This word was recently used in a Slashdot article, and this particular word was highlighted by several readers. Don't be surprised if there are a few vandalisms (as well as positive edits) over the next day or so. Ben Hocking ( talk| contribs) 13:55, 29 October 2007 (UTC)
Antiquarian booksellers ≠ tribe. That citation would be a help. Eagleapex ( talk) 01:19, 16 April 2009 (UTC)
Another confusing aspect in this article is the mention of Southeast Asia followed by a mention of the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. Choonga, while an interesting word to know, has nothing to do with a lagniappe. Furthermore, the Punjab is not in Southeast Asia but South Asia. It seems that these confusing sentences be either removed or rewritten. Tropbavard ( talk) 13:57, 25 June 2009 (UTC)
Along with the other confusions noted here...the introduction says this:
Street vendors, especially vegetable vendors, are expected to throw in a few green chillies or a small bunch of cilantro with a purchase. In Louisiana, the custom has become a traditional gracious gesture, with the bonus typically unexpected — a 'little something extra' not expected or demanded.
So, in quick succession, we call it "expected" once, as well as "traditional", and "not expected / unexpected" twice. Later, the article refers to buyers asking for lagniappe, so there goes "not demanded", too.
This may have a shade of truth if you are familiar with the practice, but that's not sufficient. It's inadequate and senseless as an explanation. I decided to cut the second sentence, and if anyone can add something comprehensible about this, with sources, please do. Ale And Quail ( talk) 01:33, 29 April 2012 (UTC)
Paul Prudhomme, the famous New Orleans creole chef, uses the term in his cookbook to refer to extra tips / stories he appends to certain recipes. He translates it as "something extra" just as with the physical bonus item for a consumer, but he is using it to refer to something that isn't physical suggesting the possible usage of the word is somewhat broader than the article suggests. Thoughts? 12 Sept 2014. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.250.80.193 ( talk) 19:25, 12 September 2014 (UTC)
Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified one external link on Lagniappe. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.
This message was posted before February 2018.
After February 2018, "External links modified" talk page sections are no longer generated or monitored by InternetArchiveBot. No special action is required regarding these talk page notices, other than
regular verification using the archive tool instructions below. Editors
have permission to delete these "External links modified" talk page sections if they want to de-clutter talk pages, but see the
RfC before doing mass systematic removals. This message is updated dynamically through the template {{
source check}}
(last update: 5 June 2024).
Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot ( Report bug) 13:44, 15 December 2017 (UTC)
This is a definition of a word, should be on wiktionary. PixelBytes ( talk) 16:54, 5 October 2018 (UTC)