English 'supper' comes from Old French 'soper' and a Proto-Germanic root *sūp- meaning 'to sip or drink,' naming the evening meal after its characteristic activity of sipping broth — making it an etymological sibling of 'soup,' both words deriving from the same ancient root for taking liquid.
An evening meal, typically a lighter meal taken later in the day; historically distinguished from dinner as a secondary, lighter repast.
From Old French 'soper' or 'super' meaning 'to eat supper,' from a Frankish or broader Germanic root *supan meaning 'to sip, drink, or take soup,' related to Old High German 'sūfan' and Old English 'sūpan' (to sup, drink). The underlying Proto-Germanic root *sūp- conveyed the action of taking in liquid, and the evening meal was named for its characteristic activity — sipping broth or soup — rather than for the time of day. The distinction between 'supper' (the light evening repast) and 'dinner' (the main meal, eaten at midday in medieval and early