English
provender
Provender comes from Old French provendre, and goes back to Late Latin praebendus ‘a payment, in Medieval Latin also an allowance…’.
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpraebendusas praebenda‘a payment, in Medieval Latin also an allowance of food and drink, pittance, also a prebend’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400provendre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500provendre
- Englishearliest quotation 1662provender
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpraebendusas praebenda‘a payment, in Medieval Latin also an allowance of food and drink, pittance, also a prebend’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400provendre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500provendre
- Englishearliest quotation 1662provender
Earliest quotation: 1662, [The First Part of Hudibras]. Canto CANTO 2.: “He ripp'd the womb up of his mother, /…”
Linked words
through Late Latin praebendus ‘a payment, in Medieval Latin also an allowance…’
Today it means
noun Food, especially for livestock.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Late Latin praebendus / provender