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Tiffin

3 stages from English to English.

Today it means a light meal, especially lunch, in India

Where does the word "tiffin" come from? It comes from English tiff, passing through Anglo-Indian before entering English (1800s).

tiff→tiffing→tiffin

English · 1700s

dialect slang for a sip of liquor

Anglo-Indian · 1800s

British officials in India called their light midday meal 'tiffing'

English · 1800s

Mumbai's 'dabbawalas' still deliver home-cooked lunches in stacked tiffin tins

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Tiffin’s story begins in English: tiff meant “a sip.” Dialect slang for a sip of liquor. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Anglo-Indian as tiffing. British officials in India called their light midday meal 'tiffing'. It reached English by 1800s as tiffin. Mumbai's 'dabbawalas' still deliver home-cooked lunches in stacked tiffin tins. Today, tiffin means a light meal, especially lunch, in India.