Porridge
/ˈpɒr.ɪdʒ/noun
A thick hot cereal made by boiling grains in water or milk.
Did you know?The word is tied to Old French and medieval English cooking terms for a stew-like boil, showing how everyday food words often began as blunt descriptions of texture and preparation.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
porrege / porridge
“A thick boiled food, especially a grain-based mush or soup”
Old French
OF
porée
“Leek soup or vegetable pottage; a thick soup”
Vulgar Latin
VL
*porrata
“A leek dish or pottage”
Latin
Latin
porrum
“Leek”
Modern English
English
porridge
“A soft, thick cereal food cooked by boiling grains in liquid”