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Ojalá
Words
Certain: The standard etymology in the RAE dictionary and in Corriente; no serious doubt.Food & garden · Everyday

albóndiga

meatballbola de carne picada

Comes from Arabic

البُنْدُقَة

al-bunduqa

“the hazelnut; a little ball”«la avellana; una bolita»

Arabic today says

كُفْتَة

kufta

The article

Spanish kept the Arabic article al- glued to the word.

Arabic itself had taken it from Greek.

The story

Bunduqa is "a hazelnut" and, from its shape, any little ball; the word comes from Greek (káryon) pontikón, "nut from Pontus". Today an Arab orders kufta, and bunduqiyya means "rifle".Bunduqa es «una avellana» y, por su forma, cualquier bolita; la palabra viene del griego (káryon) pontikón, «nuez del Ponto». Hoy un árabe pide kufta, y bunduqiyya significa «fusil».

In a sentence

Mi abuela hace albóndigas con tomate.

My grandmother makes meatballs in tomato sauce.

جَدَّتِي تَطْبُخُ الكُفْتَةَ بِالطَّمَاطِم.

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