Parmesans

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of cheese originating from Italy, known for its hard texture and strong flavor, often grated over pasta or salads
2. A term for various cheeses that resemble the traditional Italian cheese in taste or style
3. A plural form referring to multiple varieties or servings of this beloved dairy product, commonly used in cooking and garnishing dishes

Etymology: The plural "parmesans" is simply the plural of "parmesan," the name for cheeses that imitate the hard, granular Italian cheese from the Parma region. Its ancestry runs back to the city itself: Latin "Parma" gave rise to the adjective "parmēnsis," meaning "of Parma," and that form was later reshaped in Vulgar Latin into "parmēsānus." Medieval French took up the form as "parmesan," and English borrowed it from there. The plural exists because the name has become a generic category. Strictly, only cheese made in and around Parma under protected rules is Parmigiano-Reggiano, but "parmesan" in English has come to cover a range of hard, aged grating cheeses made elsewhere, so speakers talk about several kinds at once. Other languages preserve the city-based name in forms such as Italian "parmigiano" and Spanish "parmesano."