The semantic shift in French—from simply “land” to the idea of a place shaping flavour, culture, and quality—emerged over time with agricultural and especially viticultural usage. By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it had come to imply the combination of soil, climate, topography, and human practice that gives food or wine its distinctive character. **Terroir** derives from the Old French _terroir_, meaning _land_ or _soil_, which in turn comes from the Latin **territorium**—a “landed area” or “domain”. This Latin root comes from _terra_, meaning “earth”. The evolution is essentially: - **terra** (Latin: earth) → **territorium** (Latin: land, domain) → **terroir** (Old French: land/soil of a region) → **terroir** (modern French: the characteristic qualities imparted by a place) `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:`