flavor

Where does the word "flavor" come from? It comes from Latin flare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Flavor’s story begins in Latin: flare meant “to blow.” To blow, giving rise to flatus (a blowing, breath). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as flaor. Smell, odor, related to flatus (breath), from flare. It reached English by 1300s as flavor. Settled as the English word for the distinctive taste of a food or drink. Today, flavor means the distinctive taste of a food or drink.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient flare "to blow", to blow, giving rise to flatus (a blowing, breath).
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval flaor "smell, odor", smell, odor, related to flatus (breath), from flare.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s flavor "the distinctive taste of a food or drink", settled as the English word for the distinctive taste of a food or drink.