What Happened to the N in Restaurateur?

Share Restaurateur is one of the most difficult words for new students at the Culinary Institute of America to spell on their tests and papers. The spelling doesn’t seem logical. It would make sense that the person who owns or manages a restaurant would be known as a “restauranter” or “restauranteur.” But, neither of those are correct. The proper spelling is restaurateur. So where’s the “n”? This puzzler, like many other difficult-to-spell food terms (such as hors d’oeuvre), also has its derivation in the French language. Its roots are in the original word “restaurer,” a French verb meaning to restore, repair, or renew. The verb became a noun by dropping the –er ending and adding the masculine –ateur. BTW, the feminine version of a restaurateur was “restauratrice.” The term was used in the mid to late 18th century, but thankfully never caught on. A restaurateur in the Middle Ages was a medical assistant who would help ready patients for surgery. Soon these “restorers” became known f ... Read full article.