The word "oven" comes from the Old English word "ofen," which in turn originated from Proto-Germanic *uhnaz, meaning a furnace or cooking chamber. Its earliest use dates back to before the 12th century. The word refers to a hollowed-out, enclosed space used for baking or heating food. The etymology traces further back to Proto-Indo-European roots associated with cooking pots or containers used to generate heat for cooking. The term has persisted through various language evolutions with the core meaning of a heated chamber for cooking.
Additionally, there is a humorous internet meme questioning why it is called an oven with a play on words about "of in" and "out" related to placing cold food inside and taking hot food out, but this is just internet humor and not related to the etymology.
