alimentarius

Forms

alimentārius (feminine alimentāria, neuter alimentārium); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also spelled alumentārius.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin alimentum (“nourishment”) + -ārius, from alō (“to nourish”).^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨alō⟩ to Proto-Italic *ale/o- (“to feed”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-e/o-.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest source is a letter of Caelius in Cicero's correspondence.^[5][6][7] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

A legal term, used only once in the classical period according to Lewis & Short, it meant of or concerned with maintenance, as by public charity, supported by charity, and suitable as food.^[2][7][5] As a noun, alimentārius was a person maintained by private or public charity.^[2]

German alimentär is from it, and English alimentary (1610s, “of nutrition”) from Medieval Latin alimentarius “of food”.^[6][3]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Caelius uses it in Cicero's letters.^[5][6]
• 1610s – English alimentary is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of maintenance; supported by charity.^[2]
2. Suitable as food, alimentary.^[5]

Noun

1. A person maintained by charity.^[2]

Related words

• alimentum
• alō
• English alimentary

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press