utensil

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

Utensil’s story begins in Latin: uti meant “to use.” The root of 'use', 'utility' and 'usual'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as utensile. Carried into French for tools and implements for household use. It reached English by 1300s as utensil. Settled as the English word for a tool used in the kitchen or household. Today, utensil means a tool or implement, especially one used for cooking or eating.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient uti "to use", the root of 'use', 'utility' and 'usual'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval utensile "a household tool or implement", carried into French for tools and implements for household use.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s utensil "a tool used in cooking or household tasks", settled as the English word for a tool used in the kitchen or household.