Changing words reflect our changing lives. This activity using antique or archaic food terminology demonstrates these changes. We rarely use old food words such as shoat, saleratus, or sweetmeats because technology has changed how we cook and eat. Some words such as pudding or collar are still used, but the meaning has changed. Etymology, the history of words over time, is relevant in history and social studies as well as English classes. Exploring the story behind a word can illustrate changes in daily life, social behavior, and technology over time. Historians often examine how the meaning of a word changes in written documents over time to assess change over time.

Several free, online etymological or historical dictionaries are available, but the best resource is the Oxford English Dictionary. Its creation began in 1857 and the initial volumes were published from 1884 to 1928.   The Oxford English Dictionary is a historical dictionary containing all the core words and meanings in English over more than 1,000 years, from Old English to the present day, including many obsolete and historical terms.

            Asking students to memorize archaic food terms is not recommended. Instead, use the following flashcards as an introductory activity or activity during a lesson to capture student interest.

Download Historical Food Terms Flash Cards here Historical Food Terms Flash Cards

These cards can be downloaded, photocopied, and used in classroom activities in two different ways:

Back-to-back:

  • Pairs or teams of students play a game similar to the game show The $100,000 Pyramid. One student sees the definition and gives hints to another student who can only see the word.  The student seeing only the word tries to guess what the word means.
  • If photocopied back-to-back – BE SURE to double-check that the correct definition is on the back of each card before using in the classroom. It is REALLY easy to mix up the pages when photocopying.

One side of the page only (NOT back-to-back)

  • Students individually, or in pairs or teams, can play a sorting game – trying to match the definition to the term.

For more ideas see:

  • For more about the history of daily life, historical primary sources, and instructional activities by Cynthia W. Resor, see:
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