delicatessen

The story

1. Latin · derived fromdelicatus“alluring”
2. French · derived fromdélicatesse
3. German · borrowed fromDelikatessen
4. English todaydelicatessen

First attested 1864. From German Delikatessen, plural of Delikatesse (“delicacy, fine food”), at the time also spelled Delicatesse(n), from French délicatesse, from délicat (“fine”), from Latin delicatus (“alluring”). The sense of store is more recent, originating in ellipsis from the common attributive use, as in delicatessen shop, delicatessen store, etc.

Words from the same roots