Σάββατο 5 Ιανουαρίου 2013

Etymology of cook, cuisine, kitchen

The word cook (n) comes from the Latin cocus (cook) from the verb coquo [to cook, to think, to be unquiet, to worry (about), to mix], which possibly is related to the Greek verb cycao/cucao [stir up, mix together; Gr: κυκάω].

Others etymologize coquo from the IE root *pekw, which is related to the Greek verb pesso [to cook, to boil, to make something soft (Gr.: πέσσω); Att.: petto (πέττω); later pepto (πέπτω), peptic].

Finally, a few etymologize coquo from the Greek verb ceo (to burn; Gr: καίω - κηίω, κηFίο).


From the same root: 
En: cooker, cookery, cuisine, biscuit, kitchen
Ger: kochen, kuche
It: cuocere, cucina, biscotto
Fr: cuire, cuisine, biscuit

In modern Greek:
a) cyceon: mix of dissimilar things, confusion, disorder [κυκεών]
b) cusina: cuisine, kitchen [κουζίνα; reborrowing]
c) biscoto: biscuit [μπισκότο; reborrowing]


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