English
ramekin
Ramekin comes from French ramequin, from dialecte ‘dialect’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-1‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō1‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω2‘to say, to speak’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδιαλέγομαι3‘to discuss’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδιάλεκτος4‘discourse, conversation’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdialectus4
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600dialecte4‘dialect’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentdialecte5‘dialect’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentdialectal6
- Frenchc. 1600–presentramequin6
- Englishearliest quotation 2023ramekin6
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λέγω
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek διαλέγομαι
- 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek διάλεκτος
- 4 Wiktionary, French dialecte
- 5 Wiktionary, French dialectal
- 6 Wiktionary, English ramekin
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2023, Josh Noble, ‘Life is not a bowl of cherries’: “The starters have arrived, two triangles of buttered brown…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λέγω‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légōWiktionary, Ancient Greek λέγω‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγωWiktionary, Ancient Greek διαλέγομαι‘to say, to speak’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδιαλέγομαιWiktionary, Ancient Greek διάλεκτος‘to discuss’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδιάλεκτοςWiktionary, French dialecte‘discourse, conversation’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdialectusWiktionary, French dialecte
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600dialecteWiktionary, French dialecte‘dialect’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentdialecteWiktionary, French dialectal‘dialect’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentdialectalWiktionary, English ramekin
- Frenchc. 1600–presentramequinWiktionary, English ramekin
- Englishearliest quotation 2023ramekinWiktionary, English ramekin. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2023, Josh Noble, ‘Life is not a bowl of cherries’: “The starters have arrived, two triangles of buttered brown…”
Formed from ream + -kin
Proto-Indo-European *réwgʰmn̥ ‘to sour milk’
Proto-Germanic *raumaz ‘cream’
Proto-West Germanic *raum ‘cream’
Old English rēam ‘cream’
Middle English rem ‘cream, ream’
English ream
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’
election, collection, lesson, select, elite, collect, logic, eligible, apology, elect, elegant, legion, trilogy, sociology, coil, analogy, negligence, physiology, pathology, terminology, logos, negligible, negligent, monologue, leach, diligent, prologue, pathologist, archaeologist, logistic, eulogy, cull, etymology, epistemology, entomology, homologous, etiology, legation, lignite, apologia, 160 more
through Ancient Greek λέγω ‘to say, to speak’
technology, catalogue, astrology, epilogue, lexicon, cosmology, lexical, gynecologist, dialectical, alexia, lexis, dialogic, 18 more
through Ancient Greek διαλέγομαι ‘to discuss’
through Middle French dialecte ‘dialect’
through French dialectal
Today it means
noun A small glass or earthenware dish, often white and circular, in which food is baked and served.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “ramekin”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek λέγω, Ancient Greek διαλέγομαι, Ancient Greek διάλεκτος, French dialecte, French dialectal. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / ramekin