Etymology Map
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Custard

4 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a sweet dish or sauce made with milk and eggs

Where does the word "custard" come from? It comes from Latin crusta, passing through Old French and Middle English before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
crusta
Latin · ancient
"shell, crust"
the same word gives 'crust' and 'crustacean'
2
Stage 2 of 4
croustade
Old French · medieval
"pie in a crust"
an open pie baked in a pastry crust
3
Stage 3 of 4
crustade
Middle English · 1300s
"an open meat or fruit pie"
the r shifted position and dropped away in everyday speech
4
Stage 4 of 4
custard
English · 1600s
"a sweet sauce or set dish of eggs and milk"
the name moved from the pie to its egg-and-milk filling
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Read the full story

Custard’s story begins in Latin: crusta meant “shell, crust.” The same word gives 'crust' and 'crustacean'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as croustade. An open pie baked in a pastry crust. From there it passed into Middle English as crustade by 1300s. The r shifted position and dropped away in everyday speech. It reached English by 1600s as custard. The name moved from the pie to its egg-and-milk filling. Today, custard means a sweet dish or sauce made with milk and eggs.