Etymology Map
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Plate

3 stages from Vulgar Latin to English.

Today it means a flat dish; a thin sheet of material

Where does the word "plate" come from? It comes from Vulgar Latin plattus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
plattus
Vulgar Latin · ancient
"flat"
from Greek 'platys', broad
2
Stage 2 of 3
plate
Old French · medieval
"thin metal sheet"
gold and silver 'plate' was tableware
3
Stage 3 of 3
plate
English · 1300s
"metal sheet; dish"
'on your plate' meaning duties dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Plate’s story begins in Vulgar Latin: plattus meant “flat.” From Greek 'platys', broad. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as plate. Gold and silver 'plate' was tableware. It reached English by 1300s as plate. 'on your plate' meaning duties dates from the 1900s. Today, plate means a flat dish; a thin sheet of material.