English
terroir
Terroir comes from French terroir ‘Area of natural land considered in terms of…’, from Classical Latin territorium ‘territory’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ters- ‘dry’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ters-‘dry’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*terzā‘earth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterra‘land’
- Classical Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterritorium‘territory’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*terratoriumreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tieroir
- Frenchc. 1600–presentterroir‘Area of natural land considered in terms of agriculture’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ters-‘dry’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*terzā‘earth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterra‘land’
- Classical Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterritorium‘territory’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*terratoriumreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tieroir
- Frenchc. 1600–presentterroir‘Area of natural land considered in terms of agriculture’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014same form
Earliest quotation: 2014, Diego Tomasi, Federica Gaiotti: “The concept of terroir summarises in a synthetic, effective…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ters- ‘dry’
test, toast, inter, thirst, torrent, terrestrial, torrid, terrine, 40 more
through Proto-Italic *terzā ‘earth’
through Latin terra ‘land’
terrain, terrace, terra, terrier, fossa, fosse, 16 more
through Classical Latin territorium ‘territory’
Today it means
noun The complete set of local conditions in which a particular wine or family of wines is produced, including soil type, weather conditions, topography, and wine-making savoir-faire.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ters- / terroir