macaronic

adjective

mac·a·ron·ic ˌma-kə-ˈrä-nik

1

: characterized by a mixture of vernacular words with Latin words or with non-Latin words having Latin endings

2

: characterized by a mixture of two languages

macaronic noun

Word History

Etymology

New Latin macaronicus, from Italian dialect maccarone macaroni

First Known Use

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of macaronic was in 1638

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Macaronic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macaronic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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