Etymology Map
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Menu

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a list of dishes; a list of options

Where does the word "menu" come from? It comes from Latin minutus, passing through French before entering English (1830s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
minutus
Latin · ancient
"small"
the root of 'minute' and 'minor'
2
Stage 2 of 3
menu
French · 1700s
"detailed list"
a detailed list of dishes
3
Stage 3 of 3
menu
English · 1830s
"list of dishes"
computer 'menus' date from the 1960s
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Read the full story

Menu’s story begins in Latin: minutus meant “small.” The root of 'minute' and 'minor'. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in French as menu. A detailed list of dishes. It reached English by 1830s as menu. Computer 'menus' date from the 1960s. Today, menu means a list of dishes; a list of options.