Lecture Notes: Food Words Etymology

Introduction

• Presenters: Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris
• Topic: Etymology of food-related words
• Program: Words Unravelled

Breakfast

• Definition: "Break fast"; to end the overnight fast
• Historical Usage: Refers to any meal after a long period without eating
  • Example: Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare, and quotes by John Dryden
• Hobbit Reference: Second breakfast

English Meal Terms

• Various Meals: Breakfast, lunch, elevenses, second breakfast, supper, afternoon tea, high tea
• Frequency of Meals: More frequent smaller meals in the past, influenced by class
• Elevenses: Snack at 11 AM
• Fourses/Quatre-heures: Sweet snack at 4 PM

Supper and Dinner

• Regional/Class Differences: Varies by region and class in England
• Tea: Late meal of the day in some parts of England
• Etymology of 'Dinner': Originally the first meal of the day
  • French: "Déjeuner" and "dîner"
  • Changes over time influenced by societal behaviors and the Industrial Revolution

Origins of Food Words

• Meat: Originally any food, now refers specifically to flesh
  • Old English: Moist/Wet food
  • 1300s: "Flesh-meat"
  • Vegetables: "Green meat"
  • Dairy: "White meat"
• Bread: Originally a morsel or crumb
  • Related to the word "bubble" or "boil"
  • Example: "Sweetbreads" (pancreas)
  • Important terms: "company," "companion," "lord" (loaf-ward), "lady" (bread maker)
• Meal: Two distinct etymologies
  • "Meal" (food): Related to "mill"
  • "Meal" (time): Related to the German "Mal" meaning time

Lunch

• Origins: Unclear whether "lunch" or "luncheon" came first
  • "Nuncheon": Middle English word for a midday drink
  • Lunch: Means "lump of food"

Food Terminology Changes

• Food: Related to "feed," "fodder," and "foster"
  • Old terms: "Noth" (foodstuff), "Waybread" (travel food)
• Vegetables: No scientific definition, originally meant something capable of life
  • Example: Tomato is a berry, not a vegetable
• Apples: Old word for any fruit
  • Example: Date (finger apple), cucumber (earth apple)
• Avocado: From Aztec word meaning testicle
  • Related to guacamole (avocado sauce)

Folk Etymology

• Alligator Pear: Alternative name for avocado
• Pineapple: Originally referred to a pine cone
• Banana: Possibly from Wolof language
• Vanilla: Means "little vagina"

Miscellaneous Food Words

• Precocious: Means precooked
• Hodgepodge: Originally a type of stew
• Potpourri: French for "rotten pot"
• Gallimaufry: French for a hash of various foods
• Smorgasbord: Means sandwich board
• Sandwich: Named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich

Cultural Food Words

• Tomato: From Aztec language, means swelling fruit
• Chocolate: Originally a drink
• Potato: Derived from Haitian "batata"
  • Sweet potato was more common initially
• Pasta/Pastrami/Salami: Related to the word salt
• Bacon: Derived from Germanic root meaning back

Conclusion

• Brief discussion about the etymology of various food terms such as taco, calzone, and lasagna
• Encourage listeners to share and inquire about more food word origins

Sign-off

• Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris conclude with a promise of more etymological explorations in future episodes