OurmodernmealtimesarelargelytheresultoftheIndustrialRevolutionsincethe1800s.
Itregularisedthenatureoftheworkforcedemographicsandindustrialsectors,andthereforetheworkingconditionsalsoregularisedthetimeswhenweeat.
Whenitcomestomealtimesandmealnames,thehistorybooksaregenerallyquiteaccurate.
ThebelowisaconcisesummaryoftheEnglishsituationjustforthesakeofspaceandeasierunderstanding:—
DINNER(1300s)
Englishsocietysincetimeimmemorialtoaroundthe1300swasjustliketherestoftheworld.Mostpeoplehadonlyonemealaday.Thatdiningwascalleddinnerforseveralcenturiesandwasusuallyeatenhalfwaybetweensunriseandsunset.
(Throughoutmostofantiquity,mostsocietiesdidn’tcookaftersunset.Itwasafirehazard,whichwastheusualreasoncitedinmosthistorybooks.)
Forthericherpeople,theycouldaffordasecondmealintheeveningaftersunset.Itwasusuallypre-preparedandconsistedofsoupandbread.Sothatwascalledsupper(fromtheNormanorOldFrenchsoupermeaning‘tosup’:toeatsoup).
Breakfast&DINNER(1500s)
Owingtoeconomics,militaryconflict,newagriculturaltechnologiesandnewindustriesappearing,theBreakfastcameontherisebythe1500s.Societyrealisedthatincreasednutritionwasrequiredforincreasedeconomicactivities.
SoBreakfastbrokethefastofthepriornightandpusheddinnersquarelytothemiddaylunchtimeslot.
Theusageofdinnertomeanthelunchtimemealathome,schoolorsuchlikeenvironmentsremainedintactrightuptothe1970s.
Breakfast,LUNCHEON&DINNER(1739–50s)
Wecanbankonhighsocietycomingupwithmealsthatarereallysocialeventsorformalproceedings.
Asaformalproceedinglikeasocial,business,academicorprofessionalgathering,luncheonwasthetermreplacingdinnerasthemiddaymeal.Veryquicklythatgiverisetotheclippedform“lunch”asanounandverb.
Meanwhile,dinnerbecamethetermtomeantheeveningmealasaformalproceedingathomeandoutside—whilestillretainingthetermsupperfortheordinarydinnerathome.
TheriseoftheIndustrialRevolutioncausedmanypeopleintheworkforcetostarteatingoutbecauseoftherequirementsofworkingtimesandworklocations.
ThatthencausedtheterminologiestosplitintotwogroupsthatarestillwithustodayintheEnglishlanguage:—
The‘outside’terminologygroupveryquicklybecameregularisedintodefaultgenerictermsforthemorning(Breakfast),midday(lunch)andevening(dinner)meals.
THEINDUSTRIALISATIONOFMEALS(1850s)
OverthecourseoftheIndustrialRevolution,workersrequiredincreasinglyhigherlevelsofnutritioninordertodotheirjobs.
Intheheavyindustries,manyworkersrequireda“secondBreakfast”(asit’scalledinAustria,BavariainGermany,Hungary,Poland,etc).
Evenlight-industryandofficeworkersneededateabreakwithmorethanacupofteaorcoffee.
Thatspelledtheriseofthemidmorningsnackcalledinformallytheelevenses(singular),or“tiffin”inIndianEnglishsincecolonialtimesofBritishIndia.
Britishschoolkidsinthe1890sinventedtheslangterm“brunch”tomeanamealeateninlieuofBreakfastandlunch,andthentheAmericanworkerstookupbrunchtomeanamealin-betweenBreakfastandlunch.
Meanwhile,aBritishhigh-societyladyinventedtheafternoonteaaroundthe1880s—firsttostaveoffherownhungerfromwaitingtoolongfordinner,andthenrebadgedthatasasocialfunctiontogossipwithotherhigh-societytypes.
WHATABOUTSUPPER
Didourfunnyandadorablesemi-feudal‘supper’tookonnewmeanings
Yesandno.
AtleastinEngland,thetermsupperstillremainsthecorrecttermfortheordinaryeveningmealofdinnerathome(orahomelikeenvironment).Thishasbeenchangingrapidlyinthelast20–25years,however.
TheFrenchsenseofsupperasthepre-bedtimesnackormealstillsurvivesquiteabitinNorthAmericabutnotsomuchintheUK(untilaroundthelast20–25years).Theproperbutold-fashionedEnglishtermforthisismidnightsupper,whichisn’tnecessarilyatmidnight.
Soifyouusethewordsuppertomeandinnerathome,thenyouareusingitintheEnglishsense.Nothingwrongwiththat.
Ifyou’reusingsuppertomeannotdinnerbutthepre-bedtimemeal/snack,thenyou’reusingitintheFrenchsense.Nothingwrongwiththat.
WHATWE’VEGOTNOW
Sothefinal,modernlineupwouldbe:—
Justfor‘dimension,’thisishowtheFrenchcallsthings—accordingtohowIwastaughtinschoolover40yearsago:—