pie

Where does the word "pie" come from? It comes from Latin pīca, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

Pie’s story begins in Latin: pīca meant “magpie.” The magpie. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as pie. Perhaps the same word as 'pie', magpie, since a pie's mixed filling is like a magpie's hoard of odds and ends. It reached English by 1500s as pie. 'pie in the sky' comes from a 1911 song by the labour activist Joe Hill. Today, pie means a baked dish with a pastry crust.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient pīca "magpie", the magpie.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1300s pie "pie", perhaps the same word as 'pie', magpie, since a pie's mixed filling is like a magpie's hoard of odds and ends.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s pie "pie", 'pie in the sky' comes from a 1911 song by the labour activist Joe Hill.