dinner-party

The compound "dinner-party" is a transparent English formation from two well-established nouns. "Dinner" originates from the Old French verb 'disner', meaning "to dine", which itself may derive from a Vulgar Latin phrase 'disjejunare', signifying "to break one's fast". "Party" entered English from the Old French 'partie', denoting a division or a side, tracing back to the Latin 'partire' ("to divide"). The semantic evolution of "party" from a divided group to a social assembly is key. When combined in the 18th century, the term logically described a social gathering specifically organized around the principal meal of the day, reflecting the practice of formal, hosted evening meals.

Structure: dinner (main meal) + party (social gathering) - dinner: From Old French 'disner', meaning "to dine, have a meal". Its functional role is to specify the type of event. - party: From Old French 'partie', meaning "part, portion; side, faction", derived from Latin 'partita', feminine past participle of 'partire' ("to divide"). Its functional role is to indicate a social gathering or event.