English
ricotta
Ricotta comes from Italian ricotta, from Latin recoctus ‘recooked’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- ‘to crack, crush (foodstuff), pulverize (grain)’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pekʷ-‘to crack, crush (foodstuff), pulverize (grain)’next step skipped: Latin recoquō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErecoctusas recocta‘recooked’
- Italianc. 1300–presentricottaliterally ‘cooked again’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pekʷ-‘to crack, crush (foodstuff), pulverize (grain)’next step skipped: Latin recoquō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErecoctusas recocta‘recooked’
- Italianc. 1300–presentricottaliterally ‘cooked again’
- Englishtodaysame form
The story
Borrowed from Italian ricotta (literally “cooked again”), from Latin recocta.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- ‘to crack, crush (foodstuff), pulverize (grain)’
coach, kitchen, cook, pumpkin, cuisine, culinary, kiln, concoction, quitter, concoct, dyspepsia, peptic, decoction, 14 more
Today it means
noun A soft Italian unsalted whey cheese resembling cottage cheese.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- / ricotta