The word 'vegetable' originates from the Latin vegetabilis, meaning 'animating, life-giving'. This derives from vegetare ('to enliven, invigorate'), which is related to vegere ('to be lively, active'). The core concept was one of vigorous growth and vitality. In Medieval Latin, vegetabilis was applied to plants, which were seen as capable of growth and life. Over time in English, the meaning narrowed from 'living and growing' (a quality of all plants) to specifically denote those plants cultivated for food, while the original sense of 'active life' survives in the related word 'vigor'.

Structure: veget (to enliven, grow) + able (capable of) veget (from Latin vegetare, meaning 'to enliven, animate, grow'); able (from Latin -abilis, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'capable of, fit for').