appetite

Where does the word "appetite" come from? It comes from Latin appetere, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Appetite’s story begins in Latin: appetere meant “to seek toward, to desire.” To seek toward, to desire, from ad- (toward) and petere (to seek). It reached English by 1300s as appetite. Settled as the English word for a natural desire, especially for food. Today, appetite means a natural desire to satisfy a bodily need, especially for food.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient appetere "to seek toward, to desire", to seek toward, to desire, from ad- (toward) and petere (to seek).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s appetite "a natural desire, especially for food", settled as the English word for a natural desire, especially for food.