goblet

the word 'goblet' entered english in the 14th century from old french 'gobelet', a diminutive form of 'gobel' meaning cup or bowl. the old french term is believed to have celtic origins, possibly gaulish, relating to words for mouth or lump, which metaphorically extended to a vessel for drinking. the diminutive suffix '-et' was added to denote a smaller version of such a drinking vessel. thus, the literal sense of a 'small bowl or cup for the mouth' evolved into the modern, more specific meaning of an ornate drinking cup, typically made of glass or metal and featuring a stem and foot.

Structure: gob (mouth, lump) + let (small thing) gob (from old french 'gobelet', diminutive of 'gobel' meaning cup, likely of celtic origin; sense: bowl, mouth). let (a diminutive suffix from old french '-et', indicating a small version of something; sense: small thing).