patat, noun

/pəˈtat//paˈtat/
Forms:
Also pattatta, petata.
Origin:
Afrikaans, Dutch, Spanish, PortugueseShow more Afrikaans, from Dutch pataat (adaptation of Spanish or Portuguese batata).
a. The sweet potato or yam, the tuberous root of Ipomoea batatas of the Convolvulaceae.
1846 J. Sutherland Memoir II. 557A despatch of the end of this year, refers almost exclusively to the improvement of the colony, in the growth of wine, indigo, olives, pattattas, &c.
1903 L. Hotz tr. of J.E. De la Rey’s Woman’s Wanderings Anglo-Boer War 123As we had so little [coffee] left, I used to cut up petatas into small dice and dry and burn them. [Source Note: A species of potato.]
1949 L.G. Green In Land of Afternoon 62Sweet potatoes are reverenced in the platteland to a degree unknown in the towns. For centuries the ‘patat’ has ripened in patches of dark green vegetation towards the end of June.
1971 L.G. Green Taste of S.-Easter 178The sweet potato or patat was the favourite and true potatoes were neglected.
1981 Sunday Times 14 June (Mag. Sect.) 9‘Patats’ and indeed, sweet potatoes baked or stewed with sugar, seem to form a staple part of the local diet.
1983 M. Van Biljon in Sunday Times 6 Mar. (Mag. Sect.) 16To serve, put snoek on a platter, patats in a bowl, korrelkonfyt in a jar...Just a smidgen of butter for the rest of your patat.
‖b. comb.
patat salf/-salf/ [Afrikaans, salf salve], a traditional Dutch remedy used in the treatment of skin infections. See also (old) Dutch medicine (Dutch adjective sense 2).
a1910 Lennon’s Dutch Medicine Handbk 22Patatsalf, An excellent ointment for veldsores or septic ulcers.
‖c. With qualifying word:
gestoofde patats, also stowepatats [Afrikaans gestoof, stowe stewed, from stoof to stew], sweet potatoes with sugar, cinnamon and butter, a traditional dish.
1977 Darling 16 Mar. 86Perhaps you’d like to try Mrs Malan of Paddagong’s recipe for Stowepatats.
1977 Fair Lady 8 June (Suppl.) 11Gestoofde Patats. 1 kg. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced; 4 tablespoons light brown sugar.
1988 F. Williams Cape Malay Cookbk 68Gestoofde Patats. Stewed sweet potatoes with coconut brings back many childhood memories.
The sweet potato or yam, the tuberous root of Ipomoea batatas of the Convolvulaceae.
a traditional Dutch remedy used in the treatment of skin infections.
sweet potatoes with sugar, cinnamon and butter, a traditional dish
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18461988

Browse Related Words

By Category

Foods and Dishes
Plants

By Origin

Afrikaans
Dutch
pata-pata, nounn.pay-day, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English