English
soiree
Soiree comes from French soirée ‘evening activity’, from Latin sērō ‘at a late hour, late, tardily’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *sēros.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sērosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsērus‘late, too late’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsērō‘at a late hour, late, tardily’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400seir
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400soir‘evening’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘evening’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentsoirée‘evening activity’
- Englishearliest quotation 1987soiree
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sērosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsērus‘late, too late’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsērō‘at a late hour, late, tardily’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400seir
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400soir‘evening’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘evening’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentsoirée‘evening activity’
- Englishearliest quotation 1987soiree
Earliest quotation: 1987, Anne Clark, Hope Road: “An invite to a party / Or watching The…”
Linked words
through Latin sērus ‘late, too late’
through Latin sērō ‘at a late hour, late, tardily’
series, season, desert, serial, insert, exert, cerrado, sere, 9 more
through French soirée ‘evening activity’
Today it means
noun A formal evening party.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *sēros / soiree