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mar·zi·pan

(märzə-păn′, märtsə-pän′)

A confection made of ground almonds or almond paste, sugar, and sometimes egg whites, often molded into decorative shapes.

[German Marzipan, from Italian marzapane, from Old Italian, fine container for comfits, marzipan, probably ultimately (via Arabic marṭabā and Persian martabā, fine glazed jar) after Martaban (now Mottama), a port on the Gulf of Martaban from which fine glazed earthenware jars filled with preserves and sweetmeats were exported in medieval times.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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