noun, feminine/ataˈfea/plural: atafeas
The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
Previously thought to have been borrowed from Arabic طَفَّاحَة (ṭaffāḥa, “fullness”) via Andalusian Arabic, but this theory is now largely rejected by modern etymologists, who instead connect it to Moroccan Arabic تْفَايَة (tfāya): a sweet glaze used in Moroccan cuisine.