vitamin
ビタミン
解説 Definition
ビタミンという意味です。英語の vitamin は体の健康に必要な栄養素を指し、日本語の「ビタミン」とほぼ同じ意味ですが、英語では発音が日本語と異なります。
A vitamin is an organic nutrient needed in small amounts for normal health, growth, and bodily functions. Most vitamins must be obtained through food or supplements, and individual types are identified by letters or names, as in vitamin C and vitamin D.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
vita は「生命」を表し、vital（生命に不可欠な）や vitality（活力）にも現れます。そこから vitamin を「生命・健康に必要な微量栄養素」と結び付けましょう。英語では vitamin C、take a vitamin、vitamin deficiency のように使い、発音は日本語の「ビタミン」と異なります。
Connect vitamin with vita, the Latin word for “life,” also seen in vital and vitality. This makes vitamin easy to remember as a substance needed in small amounts to support life and health. Learn it in common combinations: vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin deficiency, and vitamin supplement. English speakers may say take a vitamin when referring to a tablet or daily supplement. Also notice that its English pronunciation differs from the Japanese loanword ビタミン, with common pronunciations beginning like “VAI-” in American English or “VIT-” in British English.
例文
This fruit has a lot of vitamin C.
この果物にはビタミンCがたくさん含まれています。
A doctor told me to take a vitamin every day.
医者に毎日ビタミンを取るよう言われました。
Vitamin D is important for healthy bones.
ビタミンDは健康な骨に大切です。
vitamin の類義語・関連語
vitamin の語源・成り立ち Etymology
ラテン語 vita（生命）に化学接尾辞 -amine を付けた造語。1912年にポーランドの生化学者フンクが命名。「生命に必要なアミン」が原義。同根語に vital（生命の）、vitality（活力）がある。
In 1912, Polish biochemist Casimir Funk coined vitamine by combining Latin vita, “life,” with amine, a chemical term. He believed these essential dietary substances were amines required for life. Scientists later discovered that not all vitamins are amines, so the final e was removed, producing vitamin. The vita element is also found in English words such as vital and vitality, both of which retain the association with life.
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