The word "veggie" is a modern English colloquialism formed by clipping and suffixation. It originates from the full word "vegetable," which itself derives from Latin 'vegetabilis,' meaning "enlivening," via the concept of a plant that grows. The informal suffix "-ie" (also spelled "-y") is added to create a shorter, friendlier, and more casual term. This process reflects a common linguistic trend to abbreviate longer words for everyday speech, resulting in a term that can refer both to the food itself and, by extension in the late 20th century, to a person who primarily consumes such foods.

Structure: vegg (vegetable) + ie (diminutive/informal suffix) - vegg: A clipped form of the English word "vegetable", originating from Late Latin 'vegetabilis' (animating, enlivening). - ie: A common English suffix used to form informal, affectionate, or diminutive nouns (e.g., auntie, doggie).