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Origin and history of veterinarian

veterinarian(n.)

"animal doctor, one who practices the art of treating disease and injuries in domestic animals," 1640s, from Latin veterinarius "of or having to do with beasts of burden," also, as a noun, "cattle doctor," from veterinum "beast of burden;" veterinus "draft animals."

This is from vetus (genitive veteris) "old" (see veteran), possibly from the notion of "experienced," or of "one year old" (hence strong enough to draw burdens). The sense connection between "old" and "large domestic animal" is uncertain. De Vaan notes a theory that, as Latin veterinus usually referred to equines, horses had come to be seen "as 'the old stock' because by nature they lived longest of all cattle, and because the Romans did not as a rule eat horse meat."

Replaced native dog-leech (1520s).

also from 1640s

Entries linking to veterinarian

veteran(n.)

c. 1500, "old experienced soldier," from French vétéran, from Latin veteranus "old, aged, experienced, that has been long in use," especially of soldiers; as a plural noun, "old soldiers;" in rural use also of cattle, slaves, vines, etc. It is from vetus (genitive veteris) "old, aged, advanced in years; of a former time," as a plural noun, vetores, "men of old, forefathers."

This is reconstructed to be from PIE *wet-es-, from root *wet- (2) "year" (source also of Sanskrit vatsa- "year," Greek etos "year," Hittite witish "year," Old Church Slavonic vetuchu "old," Old Lithuanian vetušas "old, aged;" and compare wether, also inveterate, veterinary).

The general sense of "one who has seen long service in any office or position" (and thus is entitled to trust or consideration) is attested from 1590s. The adjective is recorded by 1610s; in reference to soldiers, "having seen much warfare, much experienced in military matters," by 1728.

Latin vetus also is the ultimate source of Italian vecchio, French vieux, Spanish viejo.

vet(n.1)

1862, a colloquial shortened form of veterinarian. or veterinary surgeon.

veterinary(adj.)

"of or pertaining to domestic animals," specifically horses and cattle, in reference to their surgical and medical treatment, by 1766, from Latin veterinarius "of or pertaining to beasts of burden," from veterinus (see veterinarian).

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