stew

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

Stew’s story begins in Vulgar Latin: extufare meant “to steam out.” From 'ex-' plus 'tufus', steam, from Greek 'typhos', smoke. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as estuver. A heated bathing room. It reached English by 1300s as stew. The cooking sense dates from the 1400s; 'in a stew' from the 1800s. Today, stew means a dish cooked slowly in liquid.

1. Stage 1 · Vulgar Latin · ancient extufare "to steam out", from 'ex-' plus 'tufus', steam, from Greek 'typhos', smoke.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval estuver "to bathe in steam", a heated bathing room.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s stew "steam bath", the cooking sense dates from the 1400s; 'in a stew' from the 1800s.