Lagniappe - pronounced 'lanny-yap', according to Mark Twian - meaning a little something extra, given for good measure, comes to English from Spanish (la ñapa - 'something that is added') by way of Louisiana Regional or 'Cajun' French, and may have ties to the Quechua word 'yapay', meaning to increase or to add.
There is no direct, single-word translation into 'standard' English, but the word itself is included in most dictionaries of English, and especially North American English... So you could say the way to say 'lagniappe' in English is 'lagniappe'.
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It is pronounced as "lan-yap."
It means a little something thrown in for free, typically a small gift from a merchant to a customer. Seems to have found a home in New Orleans. Pronounced as lanny-ap. I purchased 4 bottles of wine, and the merchant placed a folding corkscrew in the bag, smiled and said "Dat's fo lagniappe."
Lagniappe is a Cajun French term used in Louisiana to describe a small extra gift or bonus given to a customer. It is a token of goodwill or an unexpected treat provided by a business or vendor to show appreciation.
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