Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·French ·1840s
Chef
from chef
- Meaning
- Head — short for *chef de cuisine*, the head of the kitchen.
- Source word
- chef
- Route into English
- French *chef* (head) → English. In French, "chef" still means boss of anything; English narrowed to the kitchen. Older English "chief" is the same root, earlier route.
- Arrived
- 1840s
From French
Beyond the Norman conquest's Old French foundation, English kept borrowing from French for art, cuisine, fashion, and diplomacy throughout the modern period.
English borrows.
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