supper

Where does the word "supper" come from? It comes from Old French super, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

Supper’s story begins in Old French: super meant “to have the evening meal.” A verb from a Germanic root, 'to sup', eating liquid food such as broth with bread. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as soper. The French infinitive was used as a noun, as with 'dinner'. It reached English by 1500s as supper. Survives as a lighter, late meal wherever 'dinner' has taken over the evening. Today, supper means an evening meal, often a light one.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval super "to have the evening meal", a verb from a Germanic root, 'to sup', eating liquid food such as broth with bread.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1200s soper "the evening meal", the French infinitive was used as a noun, as with 'dinner'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s supper "a light evening meal", survives as a lighter, late meal wherever 'dinner' has taken over the evening.