Etymology Map
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Soup

3 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means a liquid dish made by boiling meat, fish or vegetables

Where does the word "soup" come from? It comes from Late Latin suppa, passing through French before entering English (1650s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
suppa
Late Latin · ancient
"bread soaked in broth"
from a Germanic word for soaked bread, related to English 'sop' and 'sup'
2
Stage 2 of 3
soupe
French · 1600s
"broth poured on bread"
shifted from the sodden bread to the broth poured over it
3
Stage 3 of 3
soup
English · 1650s
"a liquid dish"
arrived with French cooking fashions after the Restoration of Charles II
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Read the full story

Soup’s story begins in Late Latin: suppa meant “bread soaked in broth.” From a Germanic word for soaked bread, related to English 'sop' and 'sup'. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as soupe. Shifted from the sodden bread to the broth poured over it. It reached English by 1650s as soup. Arrived with French cooking fashions after the Restoration of Charles II. Today, soup means a liquid dish made by boiling meat, fish or vegetables.