English
supper
Supper comes from Old French soper ‘dinner’, from supe ‘soup’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *suppōną ‘to soak’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*suppōną‘to soak’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūpaną‘to drink, sip’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*supô‘soup, broth’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsuppa‘sopped bread’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400supeas sope‘soup’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400soper‘dinner’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘Supper, dinner’
- Englishearliest quotation 1815supper
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*suppōną‘to soak’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūpaną‘to drink, sip’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*supô‘soup, broth’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsuppa‘sopped bread’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400supeas sope‘soup’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400soper‘dinner’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘Supper, dinner’
- Englishearliest quotation 1815supper
Earliest quotation: 1815, Supplement to Volume LXXXV. Part I. […]: “Horns in the night-season are heard a great way…”
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *sūpaną ‘to drink, sip’
through Proto-Germanic *supô ‘soup, broth’
through Late Latin suppa ‘sopped bread’
Today it means
noun An optional light meal consumed shortly before going to bed.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *suppōną / supper