Where does “maître d'hôtel” come from?

maître d'hôtel (French) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European gʰostipotis — to drink.

maître d'hôtel (French): the person in charge of the team of waiters in a...

Definitions

  1. the person in charge of the team of waiters in a...

Ancestry of “maître d'hôtel”, step by step

maître d'hôtel traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via French hôtel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchhôtelmansion, town house, hotel; hotel
2Middle Frenchhostelshelter; living quarters; place to stay; hotel;...
3Old Frenchostelshelter; place to stay
4LatinhospitālisOf or pertaining to a host or guest
5Latinhospeshost; guest, visitor; stranger; foreigner
6Proto-Italichostipotishost
7Proto-Italicχostipotis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʰostipotismaster of guests
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpótismaster, ruler; husband
10Proto-Indo-Europeanph₃tis—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₃-to drink

via French dé

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdédie; diced slice; thimble
2Middle Frenchdeof; from
3Old Frenchdédie
4Latindēof; concerning; about
5Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
6Latinposteablative singular of postis
7Proto-Italicpostibehind, after
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpóstiafter
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

via French Maître

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchMaîtrea title given to lawyers and notaries public in...
2Middle Frenchmaistremaster
3Old Frenchmaistremaster; Master; magister
4Latinmagisterteacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,...
5Proto-Italicmagisterosbigger, greater
6Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂isteros—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

Words derived from “maître d'hôtel”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₃- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ph₃tis →Every word from Proto-Indo-European pótis →