Etymology Map
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Nostrum

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a quack medicine; a pet scheme for solving a problem

Where does the word "nostrum" come from? It comes from Latin nostrum, adopted directly into English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
nostrum
Latin · ancient
"our own"
'our own', neuter of 'noster', ours
2
Stage 2 of 2
nostrum
English · 1600s
"quack remedy"
quack doctors sold remedies of 'our own' secret making; by the 1700s it meant any pet cure-all or scheme
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Nostrum’s story begins in Latin: nostrum meant “our own.” 'our own', neuter of 'noster', ours. It reached English by 1600s as nostrum. Quack doctors sold remedies of 'our own' secret making; by the 1700s it meant any pet cure-all or scheme. Today, nostrum means a quack medicine; a pet scheme for solving a problem.