Etymologically
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nutrio

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈnuː.tri.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnuː.tri.o][1]

Forms

nūtriō (present infinitive nūtrīre, perfect active nūtrīvī or nūtriī, supine nūtrītum); fourth conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *snoutrjō, from Proto-Indo-European *snew-tr-ih₂ (“female nurser”), from a root Proto-Indo-European *snew- (“to suckle”).[1][2] It is related to nūtrīx “nurse”, and is cognate with Sanskrit प्रस्नौति (prasnauti, “releases liquid”).[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Catullus, of nourishing plants.[2] Köbler dates Catullus 81/79–52/50 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to suckle, as in Virgil, to feed, nourish people or animals, as Ovid's she-wolf, to treat a patient with a diet, of plants and soil to nourish, as in Catullus, and to feed a fire.[2][4] It meant to bring up a child, rear, as in Virgil, of land to produce crops, as in Horace, and to foster a feeling, as in Propertius.[2] It also meant to tend the sick, as in Livy, to look after things, and to deal gently with faults.[2] Virgil has the old imperfect nūtrībat and a deponent form.[5][2] Döderlein says alō is nourishing for growth, nūtrīre for keeping alive.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to feed, foster, rear, nourish, support.[7] It survives in Italian nutrire, French nourrir and Spanish nudrir.[1] Through Old French norriss- it is the source of English nourish about 1300, and English nurse comes through Late Latin *nūtrīcia from nūtrīx.[8]

Timeline

  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of nourishing plants.[2][3]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of suckling and rearing.[2][3]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of tending the sick.[2][3]
  • c. 1300 – English nourish is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To suckle.[2]
  2. To feed, nourish.[2]
  3. To feed (a fire).[2]
  4. To bring up, rear.[2]
  5. (of land) To produce.[2]
  6. To foster, promote.[2]
  7. To tend, treat (the sick); to look after.[2]

Word family

  • annūtriō
  • nūtrīciō
  • nūtrīcium
  • nūtrīcius
  • nūtrīcula
  • nūtrīmen
  • nūtrīmentālis
  • nūtrīmentum
  • nūtrītius
  • nūtrītor
  • nūtrītōrius
  • nūtrīx

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com