gratin

Where does the word "gratin" come from? It comes from Old French gratter, passing through French before entering English (1846).

Gratin’s story begins in Old French: gratter meant “to scrape, to grate.” 'gratiner' was to brown the crust that sticks to the pan. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in French as gratin. Settled in French for a dish topped with a browned crust. It reached English by 1846 as gratin. 'dauphinois' potato gratin comes from the Dauphiné region of France. Today, gratin means a dish topped with a browned crust, often of breadcrumbs or cheese.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval gratter "to scrape, to grate", 'gratiner' was to brown the crust that sticks to the pan.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1700s gratin "a dish with a browned crust topping", settled in French for a dish topped with a browned crust.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1846 gratin "a dish baked with a browned crust on top", 'dauphinois' potato gratin comes from the Dauphiné region of France.