The Origin Of The Term Vegetarian

The origin of the term "vegetarian" can be traced to the Latin vegetare, which means "to enliven."  This is related to vegere and vigere, which mean "to arouse" and "to flourish."  From the latter also come "vigorous" and "vigil," which connotes wakeful or alert.  The most ancient root word is wag, to be lively or strong.  The basis of the term "vegetarian," then, is a sense of liveliness, vigor, and alertness, rather than merely an indication off a diet of vegetables.  The issue is not whether the diet is or isn't made up exclusively of foods of plant origins (vegetable foods) but whether it is enlivening and health-giving.  What is used as a supplemental source of protein and other nutrients, be it milk, eggs, fish, or even fowl or meat, is a less important consideration.

But if these supplemental protein foods become major constituents of the diet, then they begin to affect the health and consciousness of those who consume them, both by virtue of their own properties as well as through the effects they have on the sort of food that tend to be selected to accompany them.  Heavy meat-eaters tend to prefer white bread, lightly cooked vegetables, and sweets as complements and counterbalances to their meat.

Supplemental protein foods, even when taken in small amounts, can also come to play a dominant role in the diet if their quality is so poor that they carry a substantial risk for serious disease.  Thus, even small amounts of beef or poultry, if contaminated with antibiotic-resistant microbes, have no place in a diet or a kitchen that is vegetare, life-giving.

Transition to Vegetarianism   Rudolph Ballantine, M.D.