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Rank 10 of 9820 words16 places

Spain

20 English words in this atlas point back to Spain, spread across 16 places.

WordThe placeRelationshipConfidence
mayonnaiseOne story ties the sauce to Mahón. Many etymologists are not convinced.MahónDisputedDisputed
sherryThe wine is an English attempt at saying Jerez.Jerez de la FronteraFrom its productWell attested
canaryThe bird is named for the islands. The islands are named for dogs.Canary IslandsFrom the placeWell attested
majolicaThe Italian pottery is named for a Spanish island.MallorcaHistorical nameWell attested
zarzuelaThe Spanish operetta is named for a royal hunting lodge.Palacio de la ZarzuelaFrom the placeWell attested
bilboThe Elizabethan sword is named for a Basque port.BilbaoHistorical nameWell attested
Castile soapThe olive oil soap is named for a Spanish kingdom.CastileFrom its productWell attested
Seville orangeThe marmalade orange is named for an Andalusian city.SevilleFrom its productWell attested
Spanish influenzaThe 1918 pandemic is named for the only country reporting it honestly.SpainFrom its peopleWell attested
castles in SpainMedieval French daydreamers put their imaginary castles in Moorish Spain.SpainFrom the placeProbable
holy ToledoTwo cities claim it: a Spanish cathedral seat and an Ohio river port.ToledoDisputedDisputed
Spanish flyNot a fly, not especially Spanish, and far more dangerous than romantic.SpainFrom the placeWell attested
Spanish jasmineSpanish jasmine is from South Asia; Spain was only the middleman.SpainFrom the placeProbable
barquilliteThe crystals are smaller than a human hair is wide, which is why it took until the 1990s to find them.BarquillaFrom the placeWell attested
Bilbao effectOne museum turned a declining industrial port into a case study that planners have chased ever since.BilbaoFrom the placeWell attested
Ferro meridianFor three centuries longitude was counted from the edge of the known world.El HierroIndirectWell attested
MadridistaThe fan word preserves the club's older name, from before the king got involved.MadridFrom the placeWell attested
Nueva EcijaA Spanish governor named a baking Philippine plain after the hottest town in Andalusia.ÉcijaFrom the placeWell attested
Nueva VizcayaThe name is New Biscay, carried from the Basque coast to a valley in Luzon.BiscayFrom the placeWell attested
XavierOne of the most widespread Catholic first names is really a Navarrese village address.JavierFrom the placeWell attested
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