Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “nutriment” come from?

nutriment (Middle English) comes from Latin nutrimentum, from Latin nūtriō, from Proto-Italic snoutrjō, from Proto-Indo-European snew-tr-ih₂, from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- — to swim; to float.

Ancestry of “nutriment”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinnutrimentumnourishment, nutriment, sustenance
2Latinnūtriō—
3Proto-Italicsnoutrjō—
4Proto-Indo-Europeansnew-tr-ih₂female nurser
5Proto-Indo-European(s)neh₂-to swim; to float
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- →