Etymology

Two possible theories:

• From Andalusian Arabic بسمة, from Ancient Greek παξαμάδιον ‎(paxamádion, “cookie”), with influence from masa ‎(“mass”) and pan ‎(“bread”)
• Italian marzapane, thought originally to come from Martaban (မုတ္ထမ ‎(muttha.ma.)), a Burmese port known for its spice exports, with influence from Italian pane.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -an