nutrition | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

11 entries found.

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 "to nourish, suckle, feed," from PIE *nu-tri-, suffixed form (with feminine agent suffix) of *(s)nau- "to swim, flow, let flow," hence "to suckle," extended form of root *sna- "to swim." Meaning "that which nourishes, nutriment" is from c. 1600. Related: Nutritional.

malnutrition (n.)

"defect of sustenance from imperfect assimilation of food," 1843, from mal- + nutrition.

nutritionist (n.)

"one whose profession is advising on matters of food and nutrition and their effect on health," 1926, from nutrition + -ist.

*sna-

*snā-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to swim," with extended form *(s)nāu- "to swim, flow; to let flow," hence "to suckle."

It forms all or part of: naiad; natant; natation; natatorial; natatorium; nekton; nourish; nurse; nursery; nurture; nutrient; nutriment; nutrition; nutritious; nutritive; supernatant.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit snati "bathes," snauti "she drips, gives milk;" Avestan snayeite "washes, cleans;" Armenian nay "wet, liquid;" Greek notios "wet, damp," Greek nan "I flow," nekhein "to swim;" Latin nare "to swim," natator "swimmer;" Middle Irish snaim "I swim," snam "a swimming."

malassimilation (n.)

also mal-assimilation, "faulty digestion, imperfect nutrition," 1840, from mal- + assimilation.

malnourished (adj.)

"suffering from insufficient nutrition," 1906, from mal- "bad, badly" + nourished (see nourish).

trophic (adj.)

"of or pertaining to nutrition, food, or nourishment," 1856, from Greek trophikos, from trophe "nourishment, food" (see -trophy).

oligotrophy (n.)

"deficiency of nutrition," by 1895, from oligo- "small, little" + -trophy "food, nourishment." Related: Oligotrophic.

dystrophy (n.)

also distrophy, "defective nutrition," 1858, from Modern Latin dystrophia, distrophia, from Greek dys- "hard, bad, ill" (see dys-) + trophe "nourishment" (see -trophy). Related: Dystrophic.

alimentary (adj.)

"pertaining to nutrition," 1610s, from Medieval Latin alimentarius "pertaining to food," from Latin alimentum "nourishment, food," from alere "to nourish, rear, support, maintain," from PIE root *al- (2) "to grow, nourish."

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