relish

relish · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)leg-“to slacken; to tire out”
2. Latin · derived fromrelaxāre
3. Old French · derived fromreles
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromreles
5. Middle English · inherited fromreles
6. English todayrelish

The noun is a variant of release (“(obsolete) odour, scent”), from Middle English reles, relese (“odour, scent; taste; efficacy, power”), probably from Anglo-Norman reles, relais, or Old French reles, relais (“that which is left behind, remainder, residue”), from relaisser, relaschier (“to liberate, release; to relax”) (modern French relâcher), from Latin relaxāre, the present active infinitive of relaxō (“to stretch out or widen again, loosen, slacken; (figurative) to ease, relax”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again; back, backwards’) + laxō (“to release, undo; to relax”) (from laxus (“spacious, wide; loose, slack”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg- (“to slacken; to tire out”)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)). Doublet of release. The verb is derived from the noun.

relish · noun, verb²

1. Old French · derived fromrelais“projection of masonry at the base of a wall”
2. Middle French · derived fromrelais
3. Middle English · inherited fromrelese“projection of a wall”
4. English todayrelish

The noun is derived from Late Middle English relese (“projection of a wall”), probably from Middle French relais or Old French relais (“projection of masonry at the base of a wall”), a specific use of reles, relais (“that which is left behind, remainder, residue”): see further at etymology 1. Doublet of release. The verb is derived from the noun.

relish · noun, verb³

1. Middle English · inherited fromreles
2. English todayrelish

The noun is probably derived partly: * from release (“(obsolete) odour, scent”), from Middle English reles, relese (“odour, scent; taste; efficacy, power”); and * from relish (“one’s liking or taste for something”). See further at etymology 1. The verb is probably derived from the noun.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 16th c. To give (something) (a pleasant) flavour or taste; to make appetizing.
• from 16th c. To eat or taste (drink, food, etc.).
• 16th–19th c. To have a particular (specifically, a pleasant) flavour or taste.