Although pantries now contain almost any manner of foodstuff, they originally contained only bread, as is suggested by the origin of the word: the Latin panis, meaning bread. Other words in English, such as companion, impanation, and pannier (originally a bread basket) also derive from the Latin panis, although pan itself, as in frying pan, does not. The word pantry entered English at the beginning of the fourteenth century, having trickled down into everyday speech from the French nobles who had ruled England since the Norman Conquest in 1066. By the sixteenth century pantry’s original sense of bread room had given way to its current sense.
A diminutive chamber, typically situated adjacent to the kitchen or dining area, primarily designated for the storage of food items such as bread and other baked goods. It is also employed as a storage space for glassware, chinaware, and other related utensils.