Where does “maître d'” come from?
maître d' (English) comes from French maître d'hôtel, from French hôtel, from Middle French hostel, from Old French ostel, from Latin hospitālis, from Latin hospes, from Proto-Italic hostipotis, from Proto-Italic χostipotis — to drink.
maître d' (English): A headwaiter
Definitions
- A headwaiter
Ancestry of “maître d'”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | maître d'hôtel | the person in charge of the team of waiters in a... |
| 2 | French | hôtel | mansion, town house, hotel; hotel |
| 3 | Middle French | hostel | shelter; living quarters; place to stay; hotel;... |
| 4 | Old French | ostel | shelter; place to stay |
| 5 | Latin | hospitālis | Of or pertaining to a host or guest |
| 6 | Latin | hospes | host; guest, visitor; stranger; foreigner |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | hostipotis | host |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | χostipotis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰostipotis | master of guests |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pótis | master, ruler; husband |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₃tis | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₃- | to drink |