Origin: 1275–1325; Middle English vitaille <
Anglo-French, Middle French vitail(
l)
e, Old French vituaille <
Late Latin victuālia provisions, noun use of neuter plural of
Latin victuālis pertaining to food, equivalent to
victu(
s) nourishment, way of living (
vic-, variant stem of
vīvere to live +
-tus suffix of v. action) +
-ālis -al1; modern spelling <
Latin Related formsvict·ual·less, adjective
re·vict·ual, verb, -ualed, -ual·ing or (especially British) -ualled, -ual·ling.
un·vic·tualed, adjective
un·vic·tualled, adjective