English
haut gout
Haut gout comes from French haut ‘high’, and goes back to Old French haut.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400haut‘high, tall, elevated’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600hault‘high’
- Frenchc. 1600–presenthaut‘high’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presenthautgoût
- Englishearliest quotation 1854haut gout
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400haut‘high, tall, elevated’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600hault‘high’
- Frenchc. 1600–presenthaut‘high’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presenthautgoût
- Englishearliest quotation 1854haut gout
Earliest quotation: 1854, Brantz Mayer, Theodore Canot: “In a word, Joseph had the same taste for…”
Linked words
through Old French haut ‘high, tall, elevated’
Today it means
noun A slight taint of decay, particularly in wild game meat, that used to be considered desirable; approximately, gaminess.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French haut / haut gout