food
Any substance consumed to provide nutritional support and energy for the body.
Etymology
From Old English fōda (food, nourishment), from Proto-Germanic *fōdō, from PIE *peh₂- (to protect, to feed). The same root gave Latin pābulum (food, fodder), pānis (bread), and pāstor (shepherd, one who feeds). English feed, fodder, and foster all derive from the same PIE source. Grimm's Law accounts for the PIE *p → Germanic *f shift.
The Journey: *peh₂- → food
*peh₂-
*fōdō
fōda
food
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *peh₂-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | patéomai (πατέομαι) — to eat |
| Latin | pānis — bread |
| German | Futter — fodder |
Did You Know?
Food, feed, fodder, foster, and father all trace to PIE *peh₂- (to protect, to feed). The word father literally meant 'protector/feeder' — the one who provides food for the family.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.