Back to all words

Dish

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a shallow container for cooking or serving food; a particular food

Where does the word "dish" come from? It comes from Greek dískos, passing through Latin before entering English (1300s).

dískos→discus→dish

Greek · ancient

"discus, quoit"

a thrown disc; Myron's bronze Discobolus (c. 450 BC) shows an athlete about to throw one

Latin · classical

"quoit; platter"

a quoit, then a round platter; the same word later gave English desk, dais, disc and disk

English · 1300s

"shallow container; food"

borrowed into Old English as disc 'plate'; the 'satellite dish' followed the first satellite TV links of the 1960s

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom

Read the full story

Dish’s story begins in Greek: dískos meant “discus, quoit.” A thrown disc; Myron's bronze Discobolus (c. 450 BC) shows an athlete about to throw one. By classical, the word had taken hold in Latin as discus. A quoit, then a round platter; the same word later gave English desk, dais, disc and disk. It reached English by 1300s as dish. Borrowed into Old English as disc 'plate'; the 'satellite dish' followed the first satellite TV links of the 1960s. Today, dish means a shallow container for cooking or serving food; a particular food.