meringue

Meaning

Noun

• A mixture consisting of beaten egg whites and sugar which is added to the tops of pies then browned.
• A shell made of this mixture which serves as the receptacle for fruit, ice cream or sherbet.

Origin

• Borrowed from French meringue. Historically, it was believed that meringue was invented in and named for the Swiss village of Meiringen, but the term is now thought to derive instead from Middle Dutch meringue ("light evening meal"), of unclear origin:
• perhaps from Latin merenda ("light evening meal"), or
• perhaps from Middle Dutch ("to dip or soak bread"), from Old Dutch, itself of unclear origin:
• ** perhaps from Proto-Germanic *marjaną ("to grind, pound"), from Proto-Indo-European *mer- ("to rub, pack").
• ** perhaps from Proto-Germanic *marhin ("soup of bread and wine or water"), from Proto-Indo-European *mark-, *merk-.
• Compare Middle Low German meringe (from mern), Middle High German merunge (from mëren), Old English merian ("to purify, cleanse, test"). merengue.