Late Middle English; earliest use found in Geoffrey Chaucer (c1340–1400), poet and administrator. From Anglo-Norman noreture, noriture, norriture, nuriture, nourreture, etc., and Middle French norreture, nourreture, etc. (French nourriture) upbringing, nourishment, food, nourishing quality from post-classical Latin nutritura, with first element altered after Anglo-Norman and Old French norir, norrir, nourrir, etc.