Mexican X-plainer: Papas or Patatas?

Papa.

Try to imagine life as a Spanish speaker without that word.

But, wait. WHICH papa are we talking about? And why do some folks say “patata”?

Hrm. Time to go down the rabbit hole. You with me?

Vamos, pues.

So, as you may know, potatoes are called “patatas” in Spain and a few other places (and “papas” nearly everywhere else).

“Potato” and “patata” both come from the Taíno word “batata,” meaning “sweet potato.” In fact, “batata” still means that in some dialects of Spanish (though the word “camote,” from Nahuatl “camohtli,” has given it a real run for its money).

Now, the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española lists “patata” as a blend of “papa” + “batata,” but that seems unnecessary. As with many indigenous languages, the Taíno “b” was probably articulated a lot like a “p.” It was an early evolution: Cortés used the word “patata” in his Cartas de Relación:

“Los mantenimientos que tienen es maíz y algunos ajís como los de las otras islas, y patata yuca, así como la que comen en la isla de Cuba, y cómenla asada porque no hacen pan de ella.”

From the context, he appears to mean sweet potatoes, eaten baked (rather than made into flour).

“Patata” continues to be a synonym of “batata” as late as 1600, when Luis de Góngora y Argote writes these lines: