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Where does the word "prosciutto" come from? It comes from Latin exsuctus, passing through Italian before entering English (1911).
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Where does the word "prosciutto" come from? It comes from Latin exsuctus, passing through Italian before entering English (1911).
Prosciutto’s story begins in Latin: exsuctus meant “dried out.” Dried out, from exsugere (to suck out moisture). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as prosciutto. Settled in Italian for dry-cured, thinly sliced ham. It reached English by 1911 as prosciutto. Parma and San Daniele are the most famous Italian prosciutto regions. Today, prosciutto means italian dry-cured ham, typically sliced very thin.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient exsuctus "dried out", dried out, from exsugere (to suck out moisture).
- Stage 2 · Italian · medieval prosciutto "dry-cured ham", settled in Italian for dry-cured, thinly sliced ham.
- Stage 3 · English · 1911 prosciutto "Italian dry-cured ham, thinly sliced", Parma and San Daniele are the most famous Italian prosciutto regions.