Etymograph

English

diet

Diet comes from Old French diete, from Medieval Latin dieta ‘regimen’, from Ancient Greek δίαιτα ‘way of living’, from διαιτάω ‘to treat’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐαιτᾰ́ωdĭaitắō‘to treat’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδίαιταdíaita‘way of living’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiaeta‘diet’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dieta‘regimen’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400diete
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500diet
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1982diet

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐαιτᾰ́ωdĭaitắō‘to treat’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδίαιταdíaita‘way of living’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiaeta‘diet’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dieta‘regimen’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400diete
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500diet
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1982diet

Earliest quotation: 1982, Consumer Guide, Dieter's Complete Guide to Calories: “Many grocery chains offer premium-priced lean or diet hamburger;…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- ‘to give, be given’

early, young, age, era, junior, juvenile, longevity, enigma, ere, juvenal, 24 more

Another origin of diet

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400dïeter
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dieten
  3. Englishtodaydiet

Another origin of diet

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐ́αιταdĭ́aita‘way of living, living space’
  2. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500diēta‘a public assembly’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400diete
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500diet
  5. Englishtodaydiet

From Middle English diet, dyet, from Old French diete, from Medieval Latin diēta, diaeta (‘a public assembly; set day of trial; a day's journey’), from Ancient Greek δῐ́αιτα (dĭ́aita, “way of living, living space; decision, judgement”), influenced by Latin diēs (‘day’).

Today it means

noun The food and beverage a person or animal consumes.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek δῐαιτᾰ́ω / diet

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