Deli Is Short for a German Word for Delicacies
A deli sells prepared foods and cold meats. The name is a clipped German plural.
A deli is a shop selling cooked meats, cheeses and prepared foods. It is short for *delicatessen*, which English took from German *Delikatessen*, the plural of a word meaning a delicacy — so the shop is named for what it sells, and the word was already plural before English clipped it back to two syllables. The German itself came from French *délicatesse*, so the word crossed two languages before reaching an American shopfront in the 1880s.
- A food shop. *The corner deli.*
- Delicatessen — the full word. *A delicatessen.*
- Deli counter. *The deli counter.*
- German — *Delikatessen*. *The source.*
- French — *délicatesse*. *The earlier root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | deli | A deli. |
| Plural | delis | Delis. |
| Full form | delicatessen | A delicatessen. |
| German | Delikatessen | Delicacies. |
| Related | delicate | Delicate. |
- He bought bread at the deli.Shop.
- Delicatessen is the full word.Etymology.
- It came through German.History.
German food words in English
- Delicatessen — delicacies, shortened to deli
- Pretzel — from *Brezel*
- Noodle — from *Nudel*
- Pumpernickel — a dark rye bread
- Lager — from *Lagerbier*, beer stored to mature
Short for *delicatessen*, from German *Delikatessen*, plural of *Delikatesse*, from French *délicatesse*.
What does delicatessen mean?
Delicacies. It is a German plural taken from French, naming the shop after the fine foods it sells.
When did deli enter English?
Delicatessen appears in American English in the 1880s, and the short form deli followed in the twentieth century.