Etymology

saraka

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Today it means: A sweet, flat, and soft cake resembling mochi made with rice and a sweetener such as sugar and honey, originating from African American culture. Full definition →

Arabic صَدَقَة
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The story

  1. Arabic · borrowed fromصَدَقَة
  2. English todaysaraka

From an unknown West African language, from Arabic صَدَقَة (ṣadaqa). Although owners of enslaved African Americans suppressed Islam, a small number of cultural practices originating from Islam persisted in the US. The West African tradition of giving rice cakes as charity (related to their practice of Islam) survived among various African Americans.

Words from the same roots

Arabicصَدَقَة all →

sadaqazadakat

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.