confit

Where does the word "confit" come from? It comes from Old French confire, passing through French before entering English (1928).

Confit’s story begins in Old French: confire meant “to preserve.” To preserve, from Latin conficere (to prepare, put together). By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as confit. Settled in French for meat slow-cooked and preserved in its own fat. It reached English by 1928 as confit. Duck confit is a specialty of Gascony, where meat was preserved in its own fat through winter. Today, confit means food, especially meat, cooked slowly and preserved, traditionally in its own fat.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval confire "to preserve", to preserve, from Latin conficere (to prepare, put together).
2. Stage 2 · French · 1600s confit "meat preserved by slow cooking in fat", settled in French for meat slow-cooked and preserved in its own fat.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1928 confit "food slow-cooked and preserved, especially in fat", duck confit is a specialty of Gascony, where meat was preserved in its own fat through winter.