Where Did Supper Come from?

Supper stems from the word "sup," and it's also related to the German word for soup ("suppe"). According to the English Language & Usage Stack Exchange, families would put on a pot of soup to simmer throughout the day and eat it later in the evening, which was also known as "supping" the hot soup.

Who says supper and who says dinner?

North America. The distinction between dinner and supper was common in North American farming communities into the twentieth century, especially in the Mid-West and the American South, though today, most Americans consider the two synonyms and strongly prefer the term dinner for the evening meal.

Why do people say supper and not dinner?

It stems from the Old French word souper, meaning an evening meal, and it's generally lighter than other meals served throughout the day. ... In the 1800s and perhaps even earlier, Americans in some rural regions started calling their midday meal dinner, while supper was reserved for the evening meal.