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"Dinner" has meant the morning, midday, and evening meal, at different points in time (en.wiktionary.org)
submitted 2 months ago by Zagorath@aussie.zone to c/linguistics@mander.xyz
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Today, dinner almost universally refers to the evening meal. But it has had a long etymological history to get to that point.

Those with older relatives might have noticed them say "dinner" to refer to the midday meal—what we would usually call "lunch" today. It's rather archaic today, but it used to be the dominant usage.

It comes to modern English from Old French disner (via Middle English dyner), which originally meant "breakfast", but later meant "lunch". Disner is evolved into modern French dîner, suggesting the same more recent history has taken place in that language as in English.

Disner comes, ultimately, from Latin *disiūnō, meaning "to break the fast".

So, depending on when you are, "dinner", and its etymological ancestors, could have meant breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (3 children)

In blue collar Appalachia, it often still means the midday meal while "supper" is the evening.

[–] rhythmisaprancer@piefed.social 3 points 2 months ago

This was my experience living in rural southern Appalachia. If someone wanted to meet me after dinner, they meant early afternoon, not evening.

[–] Pipster@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

West Midlanders in the UK, or at least Brummies, often use dinner for the midday meal which led to confusing conversations with my colleage from Cannock more than a few times.

[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Yeah my spouse is from Nottinghamshire, I've heard that from her family too

[–] OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's what it was for me growing up as well, Irish Canadian

[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I've noticed there are a few similarities, lots of holdovers from Scottish and Irish immigrants i reckon