Etymology Map
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Oyster

4 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means an edible shellfish with a rough hinged shell

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

1
Stage 1 of 4
ostreon
Greek · ancient
"oyster"
related to 'osteon', bone, for its hard shell
2
Stage 2 of 4
ostrea
Latin · ancient
"oyster"
Romans farmed oysters in ponds and imported them from Britain
3
Stage 3 of 4
oistre
Old French · medieval
"oyster"
the 's' later fell silent in French, giving modern 'huître'
4
Stage 4 of 4
oyster
English · 1300s
"an edible shellfish"
'the world is your oyster' comes from Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor
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Read the full story

Oyster’s story begins in Greek: ostreon meant “oyster.” Related to 'osteon', bone, for its hard shell. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as ostrea. Romans farmed oysters in ponds and imported them from Britain. From there it passed into Old French as oistre by medieval. The 's' later fell silent in French, giving modern 'huître'. It reached English by 1300s as oyster. 'the world is your oyster' comes from Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. Today, oyster means an edible shellfish with a rough hinged shell.