buffet

See also: Buffet

English

Jean-Louis Forain, The Buffet, 1884

Etymology 1

Borrowing from French buffet.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bo͝o'fā, bŭ'fā; IPA^(key): /ˈbʊfeɪ/, /ˈbʌfeɪ/
• enPR: bəfā', IPA^(key): /bəˈfeɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

buffet (plural buffets)

1. A counter or sideboard from which food and drinks are served or may be bought.

   Synonyms: sideboard, smorgasbord, (obsolete) cupboard

   • Template:RQ:Mrxl SqrsDghtr

     They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.

2. Food laid out in this way, to which diners serve themselves.

   Synonyms: buffet meal, smorgasbord

3. A small stool; a stool for a buffet or counter.
   • (Can we date this quote by Wakefield Mystery Plays and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Go fetch us a light buffet.

Translations

counter or sideboard

• Bulgarian: бюфе́т m (bjufét)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 小賣部／小卖部 (zh) (xiǎomàibù), 小卖部 (zh) (xiǎomàibù)

• Esperanto: bufedo (eo)
• Finnish: noutopöytä (fi), tarjoilupöytä, seisova pöytä, buffetti (fi)
• French: buffet (fr) m
• German: Anrichte (de) f, Büfett (de) n
• Greek: μπουφές (el) m (boufés)
• Ido: kredenco (io), pladomoblo (io)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Indonesian: bufet (id)
• Japanese: ビュッフェ (ja) (byuffe)
• Korean: 뷔페 (ko) (bwipe)
• Latin: abacus (la) m
• Malay: bufet
• Persian: بوفه (fa) (bufe)
• Portuguese: buffet (pt) m
• Russian: буфе́т (ru) m (bufét), сто́йка (ru) f (stójka)
• Swedish: buffé (sv) c

food

• Bulgarian: бюфе́т m (bjufét)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 自助餐 (zh) (zìzhùcān)

• Esperanto: bufedo (eo)
• Estonian: rootsi laud
• Finnish: noutopöytä (fi), tarjoilupöytä, seisova pöytä, buffetti (fi)
• German: Buffet (de) n
• Indonesian: bufet (id)
• Japanese: 食べ放題 (ja) (tabehōdai), バイキング (ja) (baikingu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Lao: ບຸບເຟ່ (bup fē)
• Malay: bufet
• Portuguese: buffet (pt) m
• Russian: буфе́т (ru) m (bufét), фурше́т (ru) m (furšét)
• Serbo-Croatian: шведски сто (švedski sto)
• Swedish: buffé (sv) c
• Tagalog: tintimpye, sariling-kuha, sariling-silbi
• Thai: บุฟเฟต์ (th) (búp-fêe)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} hlaðborð n
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} buffé m, ^{(please verify)} buffet m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} bife (sh) m

Descendants

• Japanese: ビュッフェ
• Korean: 뷔페 (bwipe)
• Lao: Template:lo-l
• Thai: บุฟเฟต์ (búp-fêe)

Etymology 2

From Middle English buffet, from Old French buffet, diminutive of buffe, cognate with Italian buffetto. See buffer, buffoon, and compare German puffen (“to jostle, to hustle”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: bŭfʹĭt, IPA^(key): /ˈbʌfɪt/

Noun

buffet (plural buffets)

1. A blow or cuff with or as if with the hand, or by any other solid object or the wind.

   Synonyms: blow, (by any solid object) collision, (with the hand) cuff

   • (Can we date this quote by Sir Walter Scott and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     On his cheek a buffet fell.

   • (Can we date this quote by Edmund Burke and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     those planks of tough and hardy oak that used for years to brave the buffets of the Bay of Biscay

   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VII and XIV:

     Kipper stood blinking, as I had sometimes seen him do at the boxing tourneys in which he indulged when in receipt of a shrewd buffet on some tender spot like the tip of the nose.

Etymology 3

From Middle English buffeten, from Old French buffeter, from the noun (see above).

Pronunciation

• enPR: bŭfʹĭt, IPA^(key): /ˈbʌfɪt/

Verb

buffet (third-person singular simple present buffets, present participle buffeting or buffetting, simple past and past participle buffeted or buffetted)

1. (transitive) To strike with a buffet; to cuff; to slap.
   • Bible, Matthew xxvi. 67

     They spit in his face and buffeted him.

2. (transitive, figurative) to aggressively challenge, denounce, or criticise.
   • 2013 May 23, Sarah Lyall, "British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party," New York Times (retrieved 29 May 2013):

     Buffeted by criticism of his policy on Europe, battered by rebellion in the ranks over his bill to legalize same-sex marriage and wounded by the perception that he is supercilious, contemptuous and out of touch with mainstream Conservatism, Mr. Cameron earlier this week took the highly unusual step of sending a mass e-mail (or, as he called it, “a personal note”) to his party’s grass-roots members.

3. To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against.

   to buffet the billows

   • (Can we date this quote by William Broome and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The sudden hurricane in thunder roars, / Buffets the bark, and whirls it from the shores.

   • 1830, Joseph Plumb Martin, A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier, Ch. I:

     [...] I buffetted heat and mosquetoes, and got the hay all up [...]

   • 1887, William Black, “A Keepsake”, in Sabina Zembra […], volume III, London, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 146:

     You are lucky fellows who can live in a dreamland of your own, instead of being buffeted about the world—

4. To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.

Translations

strike repeatedly and violently; batter

• Ido: batar (io)
• Latin: tundō
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: koheri, tātā, tukituki
• Occitan: batre (oc), tustar (oc)

Etymology 4

From Old French [Term?], of unknown origin.

Noun

buffet (plural buffets)

1. A low stool; a hassock.

Further reading

• buffet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from French buffet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbyfːeː/, [ˈbyfːe̞ː]
• (nonstandard) IPA^(key): /ˈbufːetːi/, [ˈbufːe̞t̪ːi]

Noun

buffet

1. buffet

Usage notes

The endings of the alternative, somewhat Finnicized forms buffetti and especially bufetti better fit the structure of Finnish.

Most Finns don't know that the letter t in the form "buffet" is silent (and that the letter u is pronounced [y]) and are not sure how to decline this form because Finnish nouns don't end in -t in the singular. They therefore consciously or unconsciously change the ending in the nominative to the more Finnish ending -tti in speaking, despite the fact that the French pronunciation (with [y] and silent t) is the only one listed in the Kielitoimiston sanakirja.

Most Finns have trouble pronouncing the sound [b] and many the sound [f], so the completely Finnicized form puhvetti is in fact widespread in speech even though the spelling buffetti is the most common.

Declension

Inflection of buffet (Kotus type 22/parfait, no gradation)
nominative		buffet	buffet’t
genitive		buffet’n	buffet’iden buffet’itten
partitive		buffet’tä	buffet’itä
illative		buffet’hen	buffet’ihin
		singular	plural
nominative		buffet	buffet’t
accusative	nom.	buffet	buffet’t
	gen.	buffet’n
genitive		buffet’n	buffet’iden buffet’itten
partitive		buffet’tä	buffet’itä
inessive		buffet’ssä	buffet’issä
elative		buffet’stä	buffet’istä
illative		buffet’hen	buffet’ihin
adessive		buffet’llä	buffet’illä
ablative		buffet’ltä	buffet’iltä
allative		buffet’lle	buffet’ille
essive		buffet’nä	buffet’inä
translative		buffet’ksi	buffet’iksi
abessive		buffet’ttä	buffet’ittä
instructive		—	buffet’in
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of buffet (Kotus type 22/parfait, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative buffet’ni buffet’ni accusative nom. buffet’ni buffet’ni gen. buffet’ni genitive buffet’ni buffet’ideni buffet’itteni partitive buffet’täni buffet’itäni inessive buffet’ssäni buffet’issäni elative buffet’stäni buffet’istäni illative buffet’heni buffet’ihini adessive buffet’lläni buffet’illäni ablative buffet’ltäni buffet’iltäni allative buffet’lleni buffet’illeni essive buffet’näni buffet’inäni translative buffet’kseni buffet’ikseni abessive buffet’ttäni buffet’ittäni instructive — — comitative — buffet’ineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative buffet’si buffet’si accusative nom. buffet’si buffet’si gen. buffet’si genitive buffet’si buffet’idesi buffet’ittesi partitive buffet’täsi buffet’itäsi inessive buffet’ssäsi buffet’issäsi elative buffet’stäsi buffet’istäsi illative buffet’hesi buffet’ihisi adessive buffet’lläsi buffet’illäsi ablative buffet’ltäsi buffet’iltäsi allative buffet’llesi buffet’illesi essive buffet’näsi buffet’inäsi translative buffet’ksesi buffet’iksesi abessive buffet’ttäsi buffet’ittäsi instructive — — comitative — buffet’inesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative buffet’mme buffet’mme accusative nom. buffet’mme buffet’mme gen. buffet’mme genitive buffet’mme buffet’idemme buffet’ittemme partitive buffet’tämme buffet’itämme inessive buffet’ssämme buffet’issämme elative buffet’stämme buffet’istämme illative buffet’hemme buffet’ihimme adessive buffet’llämme buffet’illämme ablative buffet’ltämme buffet’iltämme allative buffet’llemme buffet’illemme essive buffet’nämme buffet’inämme translative buffet’ksemme buffet’iksemme abessive buffet’ttämme buffet’ittämme instructive — — comitative — buffet’inemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative buffet’nne buffet’nne accusative nom. buffet’nne buffet’nne gen. buffet’nne genitive buffet’nne buffet’idenne buffet’ittenne partitive buffet’tänne buffet’itänne inessive buffet’ssänne buffet’issänne elative buffet’stänne buffet’istänne illative buffet’henne buffet’ihinne adessive buffet’llänne buffet’illänne ablative buffet’ltänne buffet’iltänne allative buffet’llenne buffet’illenne essive buffet’nänne buffet’inänne translative buffet’ksenne buffet’iksenne abessive buffet’ttänne buffet’ittänne instructive — — comitative — buffet’inenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative buffet’nsä buffet’nsä accusative nom. buffet’nsä buffet’nsä gen. buffet’nsä genitive buffet’nsä buffet’idensä buffet’ittensä partitive buffet’tään buffet’tänsä buffet’itään buffet’itänsä inessive buffet’ssään buffet’ssänsä buffet’issään buffet’issänsä elative buffet’stään buffet’stänsä buffet’istään buffet’istänsä illative buffet’hensä buffet’ihinsä adessive buffet’llään buffet’llänsä buffet’illään buffet’illänsä ablative buffet’ltään buffet’ltänsä buffet’iltään buffet’iltänsä allative buffet’lleen buffet’llensä buffet’illeen buffet’illensä essive buffet’nään buffet’nänsä buffet’inään buffet’inänsä translative buffet’kseen buffet’ksensä buffet’ikseen buffet’iksensä abessive buffet’ttään buffet’ttänsä buffet’ittään buffet’ittänsä instructive — — comitative — buffet’ineen buffet’inensä

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French

Etymology

Middle French bufet (1150), from Old French bufet, of uncertain origin; possibly a Celtic borrowing. Compare Scottish Gaelic biadh (“food, sustenance”), buadha (“valuable, precious”). Or, according to the Digitized Treasury of the French Language, from an imitative source akin to bouffer (“to eat (in excess)”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /by.fɛ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

buffet m (plural buffets)

1. sideboard, dresser
2. (food) buffet

References

• “buffet”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Further reading

• “buffet”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French buffet.

Noun

buffet m (uncountable)

1. (furniture) sideboard

   Synonym: dispensa

2. buffet, refreshment bar

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Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• buffé, buffe

Etymology

Borrowed from French buffet.

Noun

buffet m (definite singular buffeten, indefinite plural buffeter, definite plural buffetene)

1. sideboard, or buffet (US); dining room furniture containing table linen and services
2. buffet (counter or room where refreshments are sold)
3. stående buffet - a buffet (meal which guests can serve themselves)

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• buffé, buffe

Etymology

Borrowed from French buffet.

Noun

buffet m (definite singular buffeten, indefinite plural buffetar, definite plural buffetane)

1. sideboard, or buffet (US); dining room furniture containing table linen and services
2. buffet (counter or room where refreshments are sold)
3. ståande buffet - a buffet (meal which guests can serve themselves)

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Portuguese

Alternative forms

• bifê
• bufê

Etymology

Borrowed from French buffet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi.ˈfe/

Noun

buffet m (plural s)

1. buffet (food laid out so diners may serve themselves)

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Spanish

Alternative forms

• bufet

Etymology

Borrowed from French buffet.

Noun

buffet m (plural buffets)

1. buffet