Origin and history of food

"a nutritious substance," 1828, noun use of adjective (1640s) meaning "providing nourishment," which is from Latin nutrientem (nominative nutriens), present participle of nutrire "to nourish, suckle, feed," from PIE *nu-tri-, suffixed form (with feminine agent suffix) of *(s)nau-

"fallen nuts or acorns serving as food for animals."...English mæst, the collective name for the fruit of the beech, oak, chestnut, and other forest trees, especially serving as food...mæsten "to fatten, feed"), perhaps from PIE *mad-sta-, from root *mad- "moist, wet," also used of various qualities of food...," Old High German muos "meal, mush-like food," Gothic mats "food")....

c. 1200, "regular food," from Old French diete (13c.)..."diet, pittance, fare," from Medieval Latin dieta "parliamentary assembly," also "a day's work; daily food allowance, food...of life, regimen, dwelling," related to diaitasthai "lead one's life," and from diaitan, originally "separate, select" (food...of food regulated by a physician or by medical rules," often a restriction of food or certain foods; hence to put (someone...

late 14c., repaste, "a meal, a feast; food, nourishment, act of taking food," from Old French repast (Modern French repas...) "a meal, food," from Late Latin repastus "meal" (also source of Spanish repasto), noun use of past participle of repascere...The verb, "refresh oneself with food" (intransitive), is from late 15c....

"food" for anything, "food" in its widest sense, "that which nourishes an animal or vegetable," 1670s, from Latin pabulum..."fodder, food, nourishment," from PIE root *pa- "to feed" + instrumentive suffix *-dhlom....Pablum (1932), derived from this, is a trademark (Mead Johnson & Co.) for a soft, bland cereal used as a food for infants...

"food put on a hook or trap to attract prey," c. 1300, from Old Norse beita "food, bait," especially for fish, from beita...The noun is cognate with Old Norse beit "pasture, pasturage," Old English bat "food."...

c. 1200, pitaunce, "pious donation to a religious house or order to provide extra food; the extra food provided," also "a...small portion, scanty rations," from Old French pitance "pity, mercy, compassion; refreshment, nourishment; portion of food...

1550s, "act or process by which organisms absorb their proper food into their systems and build it into living tissue," from Old French nutrition (14c.) and directly from Latin nutritionem (nominative nutritio) "a nourishing," noun of action from past-participle stem of nutrire "

c. 1300, sustenaunce, "that which is essential to sustain life; food, victuals, provisions," also "means of living, income, wealth," from Anglo-French sustenance, sustenaunce, Old French sostenance "support, aid" (Modern French soutenance), from Late Latin sustinentia "endurance,

1837, "article of food," from French comestible (14c.), from Late Latin comestibilis, from Latin comestus, past participle of comedere "eat up, consume," from com "with, together," here "thoroughly" (see com-) + edere "to eat" (from PIE root *ed- "to eat"). It was attested earlie