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terrine

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Etymology and origin of the French word terrine

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1412 a will executed at Tournai More words from the 15th century
Ultimate origin
Latin terra

Pronunciation

Forms

terrine f (plural terrines)[1] Middle French therine (1412); terrine from 1549.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from Old French terrin (“earthen, made of earth”), the feminine of this old adjective used as a noun.[2][3][5] The adjective is from Vulgar Latin *terrīnus, for classical terrēnus (“made of earth”), a derivative of terra (“earth”), and is found in Old French from the end of the 12th century in the senses “underground” and, in the 13th century, “earthly”.[2][5] The masculine terrin, tierin was used in Middle French as a noun for an earthen pot or cooking pot from 1363, mostly in texts from the north-east.[2][6][5] The word is found only in Gallo-Romance.[6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, therine, is in a document of 17 May 1412 from Tournai concerning the execution of a will, for an earthenware vessel.[2]

Semantic evolution

From 1684, in a letter of Madame de Sévigné, terrine also meant what had been cooked in such a vessel and was served cold.[2][5] The vessel could be of metal as well from 1752.[5] Its use in cooking gave pâté en terrine (1815) and the meanings “stew” (1771) and then “pâté”.[5]

By the likeness of shape, popular speech used it for the head (1842), as tête itself first meant a pot;[5][7] a 1788 phrase, être dans la terrine, meant to be drunk.[7] English took the Old French noun in the late 14th century as terein, and the modern French word in 1706, later respelt tureen.[8]

Timeline

  • 1363 – The masculine terrin “earthen pot” is recorded at Valenciennes.[2]
  • 1412 – Therine appears in a Tournai document.[2]
  • 1549 – Robert Estienne has the spelling terrine.[4]
  • 1684 – Madame de Sévigné uses it for food cooked in a terrine.[2]
  • 1706 – English borrows it, later spelt tureen.[8]
  • 1752 – Used of a metal vessel.[5]
  • 1815 – Pâté en terrine is recorded.[5]
  • 1842 – Popular use for the head.[5][7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A wide, flaring earthenware (or metal) bowl for household use, and its contents: une terrine de crème.[9][2][4]
  2. A fairly deep earthenware dish with a lid, in which meats are cooked and kept.[9][4]
  3. The food cooked in such a dish and served in slices, a pâté: une terrine de canard; also made of vegetables or fish.[9][4]
  4. (slang) The head.[5][7]

Word family

  • terrinée

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Terrine.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/terrine. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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