Where does “gourmet” come from?
gourmet (Middle French) comes from Old French groumet, from Old French grommes, from Middle English grom, from Old English grom, from Proto-Germanic gramaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.
Ancestry of “gourmet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | groumet | wine broker, valet in charge of wines, servant |
| 2 | Old French | grommes | manservant; wine-taster, manservant |
| 3 | Middle English | grom | Alternative form of grome; boy, valet, servant |
| 4 | Old English | grom | fetus, womb-child |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gramaz | furious; hostile |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrem- | to be angry; to sound, bellow, growl, roar, be... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |