Etymograph

English

aspic

Aspic comes from French aspic ‘asp’, and goes back to Ancient Greek ἀσπίς.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀσπίςaspís‘round shield or asp’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaspis‘asp’
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentaspic‘asp’
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1606–1607aspic

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀσπίςaspís‘round shield or asp’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaspis‘asp’
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentaspic‘asp’
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1606–1607aspic

Earliest quotation: c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra: “This is an aspic's trail: and these fig-leaves /…”

The story

Borrowed from French aspic, from Latin aspis, and possibly influenced by French basilic (‘basilisk’). The culinary sense may come from association with the snake due to the traditional colors and cold temperature of aspic, in addition to the fact that the gelatin was often molded in a shape similar to a coiled snake.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *spey- ‘to expand, extend, stretch’

spike, spine, spinal, spinach, cusp, spire, buckthorn, spina, spigot, spica, 28 more

through Proto-Indo-European *speyd-

spit, 7 more

through Latin aspis ‘asp’

asp

Today it means

noun A meat or fish jelly.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἀσπίς / aspic

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