Where does “malnutrition” come from?
Malnutrition derives from Middle French malnutrition, combining mal- (bad) from Latin malus and nutrition, ultimately tracing through Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to grind or crush.
malnutrition (English): A lack of adequate nourishment
Definitions
- A lack of adequate nourishment
Ancestry of “malnutrition”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nutrition | The organic process by which an organism... |
| 2 | Middle French | nutrition | — |
| 3 | Old French | nutricion | — |
| 4 | Latin | nūtrītiō | nutrition |
| 5 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 6 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 7 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 8 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 9 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 10 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 11 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |