Etymologically
Log in

vegetabilis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 24 October 2026 at 17:36. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [wɛ.ɡɛˈtaː.bɪ.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ve.d͡ʒeˈtaː.bi.lis][1]

Forms

vegetābilis (neuter vegetābile); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin vegetō (“to enliven, invigorate”) + -bilis.[2][3][4] The verb comes from vegetus (“vigorous, lively”), from vegeō (“to enliven”);[5][6] de Vaan's reconstruction for vegeō is Proto-Italic *weg-eje/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *u̯oǵ-eie/o- (“to awaken”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Ammianus Marcellinus, of an enlivening root, which Georges takes to be rhubarb.[3][2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it meant animating or life-giving: Martianus Capella speaks of the enlivening breezes of the west wind.[2][3] Paulinus of Nola also has it.[7]

Medieval philosophy used it for the basic processes of life, growth, nourishment and reproduction, as seen above all in plants:[8] the anima vegetabilis was the soul of plants, distinct from the animal and the rational soul,[8][9] and in Thomas Aquinas the word is a synonym of nutritivus and vegetativus.[9] Alchemists spoke of a lapis vegetabilis.[8] The neuter was used as a noun for a plant.[10][9] English took vegetable in the early 15th century from Old French and directly from the Medieval Latin word.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 390 AD – Ammianus Marcellinus uses it of an enlivening root.[3][2][4]
  • 5th century AD – Martianus Capella uses it of the west wind's breezes.[2][3][4]
  • early 15th century – English borrows it as vegetable, “capable of growth”.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. animating, enlivening, life-giving.[2][3][11][7]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Of growth and the basic processes of life, especially in plants; vegetative.[8][9][1]
  3. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) anima vegetabilis: the vegetative soul, the soul of plants.[8][9]
  4. (Medieval Latin, alchemy) Of an alchemical product with the qualities of plants.[8]
  5. (Medieval Latin, neuter as noun) A plant, a vegetable.[10][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b c d e f Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b c d e f Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
  10. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  11. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.