fodder
UK[ˈfɒdə]US[ˈfɑːdɚ]
n
Food, especially dried hay or feed, for cattle and other livestock.
n
People or things regarded as readily available and expendable material for a particular purpose.
Etymology
The word 'fodder' has a direct and practical lineage. It descends from the Old English 'fōdor', which meant food or nourishment, particularly for animals. This term is rooted in the Proto-Germanic 'fōdrą', a common ancestor for similar words in other Germanic languages, all relating to feed or food. The semantic journey is straightforward, maintaining the core sense of "that which is fed." The modern figurative sense, where people or things become expendable material, logically extends from the original concept of a basic, consumable resource.
Analysis
The word 'fodder' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It functions as a noun in its entirety.
Examples
The farmer stored the winter fodder in the barn.
The scandal provided fresh fodder for the newspapers.
Young soldiers should not be treated as mere cannon fodder.