squaw corn
- noun
- Archaic
:
maíz blando
- Unlike hard corn, squaw corn is prized for its soft, starchy kernels.
Examples
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The farmer saved seeds of squaw corn for use in traditional dishes.
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Researchers studied the nutritional content of squaw corn compared to other varieties.
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I bought some squaw corn at the farmer's market.
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Have you ever tried squaw corn in your recipes?
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The chef used squaw corn to create a creamy, delicious polenta that impressed all the guests.
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In her cookbook, she highlighted the unique texture of squaw corn and its traditional uses in Native American cuisine.
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Farmers appreciate squaw corn for its soft starch, which makes it ideal for making tortillas.
Synonyms
Corn with kernels that are mostly soft and grind easily into flour
A type of corn with very soft kernels used to make fine meal
A type of corn with soft starchy kernels used mainly to make flour
Surface Forms
Morphology
squaw + corn
There is no transparent semantic link between 'squaw' and the specific starchy-kernel variety described; knowing 'corn' alone does not allow a learner to infer the botanical/texture property. In addition, 'squaw' is an ethnographic/archaic term (often offensive) rather than a descriptive modifier, so the overall meaning is lexically specific and unpredictable to learners.
Etymology
One popular story says the noun squaw corn comes from an old Native American word meaning 'woman', because women often grew or cooked this soft, starchy corn. That's why squaw corn now means a kind of corn with soft kernels. The name is old and the word squaw can be seen as offensive today.
