fry

Where does the word "fry" come from? It comes from Latin frigere, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Fry’s story begins in Latin: frigere meant “to roast, fry.” Related to Greek 'phrygein', to parch. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as frire. Cooking in hot fat. It reached English by 1200s as fry. 'French fries' date from the early 1900s. Today, fry means to cook in hot oil or fat.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient frigere "to roast, fry", related to Greek 'phrygein', to parch.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval frire "to fry", cooking in hot fat.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s fry "to cook in fat", 'French fries' date from the early 1900s.