vegetable

Where does the word "vegetable" come from? It comes from Latin vegetabilis, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Vegetable’s story begins in Latin: vegetabilis meant “enlivening.” From 'vegere', to enliven, the root of 'vigour'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as vegetable. Any living plant. It reached English by 1400s as vegetable. Narrowed to edible plants in the 1700s. Today, vegetable means a plant used as food.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient vegetabilis "enlivening", from 'vegere', to enliven, the root of 'vigour'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval vegetable "living, growing", any living plant.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s vegetable "plant", narrowed to edible plants in the 1700s.