nutriment

Where does the word "nutriment" come from? It comes from Latin nutrire, passing through Latin before entering English (1500s).

Nutriment’s story begins in Latin: nutrire meant “to feed, to nourish.” The root of 'nourish', 'nurse' and 'nutrient'. Within Latin, it grew into nutrimentum by ancient. Nourishment, food, from nutrire. It reached English by 1500s as nutriment. Settled as the English word for food that provides nourishment. Today, nutriment means a substance that provides nourishment, essential for growth and health.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient nutrire "to feed, to nourish", the root of 'nourish', 'nurse' and 'nutrient'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient nutrimentum "nourishment, food", nourishment, food, from nutrire.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s nutriment "food or substance that provides nourishment", settled as the English word for food that provides nourishment.