dinner-table
UK[ˈdɪnə ˌteɪbl̩]US[ˈdɪnər ˌteɪbl̩]
n
A table, especially a dining table, at which dinner is eaten.
n
The social context or manners associated with eating a formal meal.
Morpheme Breakdown
dinner
table
dinner
main meal
table
furniture
Etymology
The compound "dinner-table" is a straightforward combination of two ancient words describing a meal and its furniture. "Dinner" originates from the Vulgar Latin 'disjejunare', meaning "to break one's fast," which evolved through Old French to signify the main meal of the day. "Table" has a durable history from Latin 'tabula', a flat slab or writing tablet, which broadened to mean any piece of furniture with a flat surface. Their union in Early Modern English logically created a term specifying the central piece of furniture for the day's most significant meal, reflecting the social and domestic importance of shared dining. The compound solidifies the conceptual link between the event (dinner) and its physical setting (table), emphasizing its role in family life and social etiquette.
Analysis
Structure: dinner (main meal) + table (furniture)
- dinner: From Old French 'disner', meaning "to dine, have a meal". Its functional role is the specific event or meal.
- table: From Old English 'tabule', from Latin 'tabula' meaning "board, plank, flat piece". Its functional role is the object used for the meal.
Examples
Polite conversation is expected at the dinner-table.
The children were asked to set the dinner-table for our guests.
He learned his politics listening to debates around the family dinner-table.