Etymograph

English

garnish

Garnish comes from Middle English garnysshen ‘to garrison or fortify’, from Old French guarnir ‘to protect’, and ultimately from Early Medieval Latin warnīre.

  1. Early Medieval Latinmodernwarnīre
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400guarniras garniss-‘to protect’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500garnysshen‘to garrison or fortify’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1590garnish

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Early Medieval Latinmodernwarnīre
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400guarniras garniss-‘to protect’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500garnysshen‘to garrison or fortify’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1590garnish

Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book II, Canto V: “And all within with flowres was garnished”.

Every English word from Early Medieval Latin warnīre

Today it means

verb To decorate with ornaments; to adorn; to embellish.

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

Etymograph / Early Medieval Latin warnīre / garnish

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