Mealtime
/ˈmiːl.taɪm/noun
The customary or scheduled time for eating a meal.
Did you know?In Old English, mǣl meant both “meal” and “a fixed time,” while food was originally secondary to the idea of an appointed occasion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meh₁-
“To measure; the probable ancient root behind the “meal” sense of a measured or appointed interval.”
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*mēlą
“A measure, time, or occasion; the ancestor of Old English mǣl.”
Old English
Old English
mǣl
“A fixed time, occasion, or period; later also a customary time for eating.”
Old English
Old English
tīma
“Time or a period; the ancestor of modern English time.”
Middle English
English
mele tyme
“A time appointed for eating; a compound of meal and time.”
Modern English
English
mealtime
“The customary or scheduled time for eating.”