sarsaparilla

See also: Sarsaparilla

English

Mexican sarsaparilla (Smilax aristolochiifolia)

Alternative forms

• sarsparilla, sasaparilla, sasparilla

Etymology

From Spanish zarzaparrilla. The first element may ultimately derive from Basque; see Spanish zarza (“blackberry bush”) for more.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/
• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /ˌsaspəˈɹɛlə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌsæspəˈɹɪlə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

sarsaparilla (countable and uncountable, plural sarsaparillas)

1. Any of various tropical (Central and South) American vines of the genus Smilax, such as Smilax aspera, which have fragrant roots.
2. The dried roots of these plants, or a flavoring material extracted from these roots.
3. A beverage (soft drink) flavored with this root, such as root beer.
   • 1951, John Lardner, Strong Cigars and Lovely Women, page 4:

     “ […] If Cassidy goes around shooting their fingers off, how are they going to lift their sarsaparilla?” “Rustlers don't drink sarsaparilla,” came the reply, ending the conversation and throwing me back inside my twenty-yard line.

   • 1985, Jill Davies, A Garden of Miracles, →ISBN, page 52:

     Many root teas taste delightful and the old American drink, sarsaparilla, was made on the lines of a decoction, while its pleasant taste was known by most of Victorian Britain.

   • 1998, Joel and Ethan Coen, The Big Lebowski (motion picture), spoken by The Stranger (Sam Elliott):

     Say, friend, you got any more of that good sarsaparilla?

4. Any of several North American plants, of the genus Aralia, having umbels and small white flowers.

Derived terms

• bristly sarsaparilla (Aralia hispida)
• false sarsaparilla (Hardenbergia violacea)
• Honduran sarsaparilla (Smilax ornata)
• Indian sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus)
• Jamaican sarsaparilla (Smilax ornata)
• Mexican sarsaparilla (Smilax aristolochiifolia)
• native sarsaparilla
• Para sarsaparilla
• sarsaparilla tree (Alphitonia spp.)
• sweet sarsaparilla (Smilax glyciphylla)
• Virginia sarsaparilla wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)

Translations

vine of the genus Smilax

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 撒爾沙植物／撒尔沙植物 (sā'ěrshā zhíwù)

• Esperanto: smilako
• Finnish: sarsaparilla (fi)
• French: salsepareille (fr) f
• Galician: rigorda f, silvamar f, mexacán (gl) m
• German: Sarsaparille f, Sarsaparilla f, Stechwinde f
• Italian: salsapariglia f
• Portuguese: salsaparrilha f
• Spanish: zarzaparrilla (es) f
• Swedish: sarsaparill (sv) c
• Tagalog: sagnik, sabnik, sarsaparilya

See also

• (botanical ingredients of root beer): sassafras

Further reading

• sarsaparilla on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “sarsaparilla”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• Sarsaparilla at The Plant List

Finnish

Etymology

From English sarsaparilla, from Spanish zarzaparilla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑrsɑpɑrilːɑ/, [ˈs̠ɑ̝rs̠ɑ̝pɑ̝ˌrilːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ilːɑ
• Syllabification^(key): sar‧sa‧pa‧ril‧la

Noun

sarsaparilla

1. sarsaparilla (any tree of the genus Smilax; their roots)

Declension

Inflection of sarsaparilla (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		sarsaparilla	sarsaparillat
genitive		sarsaparillan	sarsaparillojen
partitive		sarsaparillaa	sarsaparilloja
illative		sarsaparillaan	sarsaparilloihin
		singular	plural
nominative		sarsaparilla	sarsaparillat
accusative	nom.	sarsaparilla	sarsaparillat
	gen.	sarsaparillan
genitive		sarsaparillan	sarsaparillojen sarsaparillain rare
partitive		sarsaparillaa	sarsaparilloja
inessive		sarsaparillassa	sarsaparilloissa
elative		sarsaparillasta	sarsaparilloista
illative		sarsaparillaan	sarsaparilloihin
adessive		sarsaparillalla	sarsaparilloilla
ablative		sarsaparillalta	sarsaparilloilta
allative		sarsaparillalle	sarsaparilloille
essive		sarsaparillana	sarsaparilloina
translative		sarsaparillaksi	sarsaparilloiksi
abessive		sarsaparillatta	sarsaparilloitta
instructive		—	sarsaparilloin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of sarsaparilla (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sarsaparillani sarsaparillani accusative nom. sarsaparillani sarsaparillani gen. sarsaparillani genitive sarsaparillani sarsaparillojeni sarsaparillaini rare partitive sarsaparillaani sarsaparillojani inessive sarsaparillassani sarsaparilloissani elative sarsaparillastani sarsaparilloistani illative sarsaparillaani sarsaparilloihini adessive sarsaparillallani sarsaparilloillani ablative sarsaparillaltani sarsaparilloiltani allative sarsaparillalleni sarsaparilloilleni essive sarsaparillanani sarsaparilloinani translative sarsaparillakseni sarsaparilloikseni abessive sarsaparillattani sarsaparilloittani instructive — — comitative — sarsaparilloineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sarsaparillasi sarsaparillasi accusative nom. sarsaparillasi sarsaparillasi gen. sarsaparillasi genitive sarsaparillasi sarsaparillojesi sarsaparillaisi rare partitive sarsaparillaasi sarsaparillojasi inessive sarsaparillassasi sarsaparilloissasi elative sarsaparillastasi sarsaparilloistasi illative sarsaparillaasi sarsaparilloihisi adessive sarsaparillallasi sarsaparilloillasi ablative sarsaparillaltasi sarsaparilloiltasi allative sarsaparillallesi sarsaparilloillesi essive sarsaparillanasi sarsaparilloinasi translative sarsaparillaksesi sarsaparilloiksesi abessive sarsaparillattasi sarsaparilloittasi instructive — — comitative — sarsaparilloinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sarsaparillamme sarsaparillamme accusative nom. sarsaparillamme sarsaparillamme gen. sarsaparillamme genitive sarsaparillamme sarsaparillojemme sarsaparillaimme rare partitive sarsaparillaamme sarsaparillojamme inessive sarsaparillassamme sarsaparilloissamme elative sarsaparillastamme sarsaparilloistamme illative sarsaparillaamme sarsaparilloihimme adessive sarsaparillallamme sarsaparilloillamme ablative sarsaparillaltamme sarsaparilloiltamme allative sarsaparillallemme sarsaparilloillemme essive sarsaparillanamme sarsaparilloinamme translative sarsaparillaksemme sarsaparilloiksemme abessive sarsaparillattamme sarsaparilloittamme instructive — — comitative — sarsaparilloinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sarsaparillanne sarsaparillanne accusative nom. sarsaparillanne sarsaparillanne gen. sarsaparillanne genitive sarsaparillanne sarsaparillojenne sarsaparillainne rare partitive sarsaparillaanne sarsaparillojanne inessive sarsaparillassanne sarsaparilloissanne elative sarsaparillastanne sarsaparilloistanne illative sarsaparillaanne sarsaparilloihinne adessive sarsaparillallanne sarsaparilloillanne ablative sarsaparillaltanne sarsaparilloiltanne allative sarsaparillallenne sarsaparilloillenne essive sarsaparillananne sarsaparilloinanne translative sarsaparillaksenne sarsaparilloiksenne abessive sarsaparillattanne sarsaparilloittanne instructive — — comitative — sarsaparilloinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative sarsaparillansa sarsaparillansa accusative nom. sarsaparillansa sarsaparillansa gen. sarsaparillansa genitive sarsaparillansa sarsaparillojensa sarsaparillainsa rare partitive sarsaparillaansa sarsaparillojaan sarsaparillojansa inessive sarsaparillassaan sarsaparillassansa sarsaparilloissaan sarsaparilloissansa elative sarsaparillastaan sarsaparillastansa sarsaparilloistaan sarsaparilloistansa illative sarsaparillaansa sarsaparilloihinsa adessive sarsaparillallaan sarsaparillallansa sarsaparilloillaan sarsaparilloillansa ablative sarsaparillaltaan sarsaparillaltansa sarsaparilloiltaan sarsaparilloiltansa allative sarsaparillalleen sarsaparillallensa sarsaparilloilleen sarsaparilloillensa essive sarsaparillanaan sarsaparillanansa sarsaparilloinaan sarsaparilloinansa translative sarsaparillakseen sarsaparillaksensa sarsaparilloikseen sarsaparilloiksensa abessive sarsaparillattaan sarsaparillattansa sarsaparilloittaan sarsaparilloittansa instructive — — comitative — sarsaparilloineen sarsaparilloinensa