Paul, in my re-read of
The Haunted Air, I came across this word: Lagniappe. I wondered how in the world you ever found this word. It is not indigenous to your region. As far as I'm aware (limited) you don't speak French or Spanish. Do you remember where you first heard this word, or where you picked it up?
(Unfortunaty I can't find the exact passage in which it appears.)
Stephanie
American French, from American Spanish
la ñapa the lagniappe, from
la + ñapa, yapa, from Quechua
yapa something added
Date: 1844
: a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; broadly : something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure
Lagniappe derives from New World Spanish la ñapa, "the gift," and ultimately from Quechua yapay, "to give more." The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean "an extra or unexpected gift or benefit."