1. Origins:
* "Queso" (Spanish): Meaning "cheese".
* "adilla" (Spanish): A diminutive suffix, meaning "small" or "little".
2. Meaning:
* "Quesadilla" literally means "little cheese".
3. Etymology:
* The word likely emerged in Mexico, reflecting the dish's focus on cheese.
4. Word Breakdown:
* "Que": This is an abbreviation of the Spanish word "queso" (cheese).
* "sadilla": The diminutive suffix "adilla" is attached to the abbreviated "que".
Therefore, "quesadilla" essentially means a "small cheese" dish.