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Origin and history of victuals

victuals(n.)

c. 1300, vitaylle (singular but the word is typically plural in Middle and Modern English), "food, food and drink; a stock of food and drink for warfare or travel," from Anglo-French and Old French vitaille "food for humans, nourishment, provisions," from Late Latin victualia "provisions." This is a noun use of plural of victualis "of nourishment," from victus "livelihood, food, sustenance, that which sustains life," from past participle stem of vivere "to live" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live").

English forms in -ct- are attested from c. 1400, and the classically correct spelling predominates from early 16c., but the pronunciation remains stubbornly "vittles."

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to victuals

victual(v.)

mid-14c., vitailen, "to stock or supply (a ship, garrison, etc.) with provisions to last for some time," from Anglo-French or Old French vitaillier (12c.), from vitaille (see victuals) or formed in Middle English from the noun. For spelling see victuals (n.). Related: Victualed; victualing; Victualer; victualler "provisioner, tavern-keeper."

vittles(n.)

see victuals. Related: Vittle.

*gwei-

also *gweie-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to live."

It might form all or part of: abiogenesis; aerobic; amphibian; anaerobic; azo-; azoic; azotemia; bio-; biography; biology; biome; bionics; biopsy; biota; biotic; cenobite; Cenozoic; convivial; couch (n.2) "grass;" epizoic; epizoon; epizootic; macrobiotic; Mesozoic; microbe; Protozoa; protozoic; quick; quicken; quicksand; quicksilver; quiver (v.) "to tremble;" revive; survive; symbiosis; viable; viand; viper; vita; vital; vitamin; victuals; viva; vivace; vivacious; vivarium; vivid; vivify; viviparous; vivisection; whiskey; wyvern; zodiac; Zoe; zoetrope; zoic; zoo-; zoolatry; zoology; zoon; zoophilia; zoophobia; zooplankton.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit jivah "alive, living;" Old Persian *jivaka- "alive," Middle Persian zhiwak "alive;" Greek bios "one's life, course or way of living, lifetime," zōē "animal life, organic life;" Old English cwic, cwicu "living, alive;" Latin vivus "living, alive," vita "life;" Old Church Slavonic zivo "to live;" Lithuanian gyvas "living, alive," gyvata "(eternal) life;" Old Irish bethu "life," bith "age;" Welsh byd "world."

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    comestible
    1837, "article of food," from French comestible (14c.), from Late Latin comestibilis, from Latin comestus, past participle of comedere "eat up, consume," from com "with, together," here "thoroughly" (see com-) + edere "to eat" (from PIE root *ed- "to eat"). It was attested earlie
    pabulum
    "food" for anything, "food" in its widest sense, "that which nourishes an animal or vegetable," 1670s, from Latin pabulum "fodder, food, nourishment," from PIE root *pa- "to feed" + instrumentive suffix *-dhlom. Related Pabular; pabulary. Blount's "Glossographia" (1656) has
    provender
    c. 1300, provendre, "allowance paid each chapter member of a cathedral," from Anglo-French provendir, Old French provendier "provider; recipient, beneficiary," from Gallo-Roman *provenda, altered (by influence of Latin providere "supply") from Late Latin praebenda "allowance, sub
    viand
    "article of food," early 14c., from Anglo-French viaunde, Old French viande "food (vegetable as well as animal), victuals...
    scrannel
    Also compare English dialectal and Scottish skran "scraps, broken victuals; refuse," in military slang "food," which is of...
    found
    "When a laborer engages to provide himself with victuals, he is said to find himself, or to receive day wages" [Bartlett,...
    sheriff
    Sheriff's tooth (late 14c.) was a common name for the annual tax levied to pay for the sheriff's victuals during court sessions...
    render
    late 14c., rendren, rendre, "repeat, say again, recite; translate," from Old French rendre "give back, present, yield" (10c.) and Medieval Latin rendere, from Vulgar Latin *rendere, a variant of Latin reddere "give back, return, restore," from red- "back" (see re-) + combining fo
    nutrition
    1550s, "act or process by which organisms absorb their proper food into their systems and build it into living tissue," from Old French nutrition (14c.) and directly from Latin nutritionem (nominative nutritio) "a nourishing," noun of action from past-participle stem of nutrire "
    sustenance
    c. 1300, sustenaunce, "that which is essential to sustain life; food, victuals, provisions," also "means of living, income, wealth," from Anglo-French sustenance, sustenaunce, Old French sostenance "support, aid" (Modern French soutenance), from Late Latin sustinentia "endurance,

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