Etymology Map
Back to all words

Stew

3 stages from Vulgar Latin to English.

Today it means a dish cooked slowly in liquid

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

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

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.