Tempe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A city in central Arizona, located in the Phoenix metropolitan area and home to Arizona State University
2. An Arizona municipality situated in Maricopa County, part of the greater Phoenix urban region
3. A city in Arizona east of Phoenix, known as a major educational and cultural hub in the state

Etymology: "Tempe" is an alternative spelling of "tempeh", the fermented soybean cake that originated in Java. The name comes from Indonesian "tempe", which in turn comes from Malay "tempe". Its exact ultimate source is uncertain: one proposal traces it to Old Javanese "tumpi", a food made from starch and tempeh, while another links it to Malay "tapai", meaning fermentation. The second connection is apt, since the food is made by fermenting cooked soybeans with a mould. The spelling "tempe" reflects the Indonesian and Malay form, which is a direct borrowing into English. "Tempeh" with the final "h" is the more common English spelling today, and the two forms refer to the same food.