comestibles
UK[kəˈmɛstɪb(ə)lz]US[kəˈmɛstəbəlz]
n
food and drink; provisions.
Morpheme Breakdown
comest
ible
s
comest
to eat
ible
capable of
s
plural suffix
Etymology
the word comestible traces its lineage to the latin verb 'comedere', a compound of 'com-' (thoroughly) and 'edĕre' (to eat), meaning to eat up or consume. the past participle stem 'comest-' combined with the adjectival suffix '-ibilis' formed the late latin 'comestibilis', meaning 'fit to be eaten'. entering english via french in the 15th century, it initially functioned as an adjective before solidifying in its plural noun form, 'comestibles', to collectively denote items capable of being eaten—essentially, foodstuffs. this evolution encapsulates the logical shift from describing an edible quality to naming the tangible provisions themselves.
Analysis
Structure: comest (to eat) + ible (capable of) + s (plural suffix)
comest originates from latin 'comedere' (to eat up, consume), specifically its past participle stem 'comest-'. ible is a suffix from latin '-ibilis', meaning 'capable of'. s is the regular english plural suffix.
Examples
the ship carried enough comestibles for a six-month voyage.
we need to stock up on comestibles before the holiday weekend.
the market stall was piled high with fresh local comestibles.