Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2024 February 1

= February 1 =

Sweetbread
There has been discussion today at WP:HD and WP:HD about this English language word that is about a culinary item that is neither sweet nor a bread. As a result, I started expanding the article. I have read quite a few sources about this topic in recent hours, and pretty much all of them use the term "sweetbreads" with a final "s". Personally, I do not think that this is really a plural term, but rather an unusual word. Perhaps the article should be moved to "Sweetbreads". Any thoughts? Cullen328 (talk) 02:34, 1 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Funnily enough when you eat them they wind up in your bread basket. 41.23.55.195 (talk) 05:02, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Speaking of which, sweetmeats refers to confectionary. So sweetbread is a meat, and sweetmeats can be bread. GalacticShoe (talk) 06:26, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Seems as if the last part -bread is related to German Braten, Dutch braden and Afrikaans braai, which would explain the semantics, i.e. a "sweet roast". 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 08:26, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
 * @Cullen328: Cambridge lists it as a singular, but notes it is usually used in the plural (sweetbreads), which is the form I am used to seeing. Bazza (talk) 09:56, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
 * , thanks for your answer that addresses the question, and I am used to seeing as you see. Those earlier responses are all interesting comments about this unusual word, but the narrower question is whether "sweetbread" or "sweetbreads" is the established usage in contempory English, and whether or not the Wikipedia article name ought to be changed. Cullen328 (talk) 10:05, 1 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Etymonline definitions are here. It's sweet as in nice, pleasant, rather than sugary. 2nd el. is from bræd, "flesh", related to "brawn". MinorProphet (talk) 10:30, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Some common nouns tend to be used in their plural forms when used to designate a culinary preparation, although they are well-attested also in the singular. A restaurant's menu card will list house green s  under Salads and onion ring s  or spicy chicken wing s  under Appetizers or Side dishes, always plural. For the veggies you'll see snow pea s  and green bean s . Our articles are at Snow pea and Green bean, though. --Lambiam 12:55, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
 * , is "sweetbread" well-attested in the singular? Is it really a common noun like your other examples? Cullen328 (talk) 18:57, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Not Lambian: but yes, it is used in the singular as well as the plural, as is done in the article Sweetbread. The reason it's often used in the plural is that a single sweetbread can often be rather small, so a culinary serving will usually comprise several of them. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.199.208.215 (talk) 21:10, 1 February 2024 (UTC)


 * EO has it as a singular. Also, there was a major league ballplayer named Sweetbread Bailey. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:18, 2 February 2024 (UTC)