health-food
UK[ˈhelθ fuːd]US[ˈhelθ fuːd]
n
food that is considered to be very good for your health, especially because it is natural and does not contain artificial substances
Morpheme Breakdown
health
food
health
state of being
food
nourishment
Etymology
The compound 'health-food' is a modern English formation that transparently combines two ancient Germanic roots to describe a specific category of nourishment. The first element, 'health', originates from the Old English 'hǣlþ', which itself is built on the concept of 'wholeness' (from 'hāl', meaning whole, sound, or uninjured). The second element, 'food', comes from Old English 'fōda', related to the act of feeding and consumption. When combined in the late 19th/early 20th century, the term logically constructs the meaning of 'food that promotes or is associated with wholeness and well-being', reflecting a cultural focus on natural and non-processed consumables for maintaining good physical condition.
Analysis
Structure: health (state of being) + food (nourishment)
health: From Old English 'hǣlþ', meaning 'wholeness, a being whole'. It is a noun-forming suffix added to the root 'hāl' (whole).
food: From Old English 'fōda', meaning 'nourishment, sustenance'. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic root 'fōdô'.
Examples
The supermarket has a dedicated aisle for organic health-food products.
She switched to a diet consisting mainly of whole grains and other health-foods.
There is a growing market for health-food supplements derived from plants.