An Omelette Was Named After a Thin Blade
An omelet is beaten eggs cooked flat. The French name traces to a word for a thin metal plate.
An omelet, spelled *omelette* in Britain, is beaten eggs cooked in a pan. The name has nothing to do with eggs: French *omelette* developed from *alemette*, a variant of *alumelle*, a thin plate or blade, from Latin *lamella*. The dish was named for its shape, thin and flat like a blade.
- A dish of beaten eggs. *A cheese omelet.*
- Omelette — the British spelling. *A French omelette.*
- You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs — some cost is unavoidable. *You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| American | omelet | A plain omelet. |
| British | omelette | A herb omelette. |
| Plural | omelettes | Two omelettes. |
| Related | lamella | A thin lamella. |
| Related | frittata | An Italian frittata. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A French omelette is pale and soft.Rolled, not browned.
- A frittata is cooked slowly and served flat.Italian.
- The name means a thin blade.From Latin *lamella*.
Egg dishes compared
- French omelette — soft, pale, rolled
- American omelet — folded, often browned and filled
- Frittata — Italian, cooked slowly and served open
- Tortilla española — Spanish, with potato, served in wedges
- Tamagoyaki — Japanese, rolled in layers
From French *omelette*, an alteration of *alemette*, from *alumelle*, a thin plate, from Latin *lamella*, a small metal plate.
Omelet or omelette?
Omelette is British and French, omelet American. Both name the same dish.
Why is it named after a blade?
Because of its shape: thin and flat, like a small metal plate. The name describes the form, not the ingredients.