Dairy Comes From an Old Word for a Bread Maker
A dairy handles milk and its products. The word descends from dey, an Old English term for a female servant who made bread.
A dairy is a place where milk is processed, or the products made from milk. The word is built on *dey*, a Middle English term for a female servant in charge of the dairy, which itself came from Old English *dæge*, a bread maker — the same root as *lady*, the loaf-kneader. So dairy, lady and dough all descend from the same idea of kneading. *Dairy* and *diary* are among the most frequently mistyped pairs in English.
- A place for milk processing. *The village dairy.*
- Milk products. *Dairy-free.*
- A dairy farm. *A dairy farm.*
- Dey — the old word for a dairymaid. *A dey.*
- Diary — the frequently confused word. *A daily diary.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | dairy | A small dairy. |
| Plural | dairies | Local dairies. |
| Adjective | dairy | Dairy produce. |
| Compound | dairymaid | A dairymaid. |
| Different word | diary | A diary. |
- The cheese comes from a local dairy.Production.
- She avoids dairy entirely.Diet.
- Dairy and diary are easily confused.Spelling.
Words built on kneading
- Dairy — from *dey*, a servant who made bread and handled milk
- Lady — Old English *hlæfdige*, loaf-kneader
- Dough — from the same Germanic root as *dey*
- Lord — *hlafweard*, loaf-guardian, the counterpart
- All of them rest on bread as the centre of the household
Middle English *deierie*, from *dey*, a dairymaid, from Old English *dæge*, a bread maker, from the root of *dough*.
How do I remember dairy and diary?
A diary records a day, so the d and the a stay together as in day. Dairy has the i in the middle.
Are dairy and lady related?
Distantly. Both trace to Old English words for a household servant who worked with dough.