GC: n
S: MRE – https://www.mre-uk.co.uk/product-page/spanish-24-hour-humanitarian-ration-rare (last access: 8 May 2024); Humilaid – https://www.humilaid.com/humanitarian-rations.html (last access: 8 May 2024).
N: 1.- humanitarian (adj): As a noun by 1794 in the theological sense “one who affirms the humanity of Christ but denies his pre-existence and divinity,” from humanity + suffix from unitarian, etc.; see humanism. Meaning “philanthropist, one who advocates or practices human action to solve social problems” is from 1842, originally disparaging, with a suggestion of excess.
As an adjective by 1834 in the theological sense “affirming the humanity or human nature of Christ;” by 1855 as “having regard for the broad interests of humanity.”
– ration (n): 1550, “the mental process of reasoning,” later, “the relation of one number to another” (1660s), then “fixed allowance of food or other means of subsistence for a fixed period of time” (1702, often rations, from French ration in this sense).
All are from Latin rationem (nominative ratio) “reckoning, numbering, calculation; business affair, procedure,” also “reason, reasoning, judgment, understanding,” in Medieval Latin “a computed share or allowance of food.” This is from rat-, past participle stem of reri “to reckon, calculate,” also “think” (from PIE root *re- “to reason, count”).
The first sense listed for the English word is obsolete; the second has gone with ratio. The military pronunciation (rhymes with fashion) took over in English from the preferred civilian pronunciation (rhymes with nation) during World War I. That war also gave the word a specific sense of “officially limited allowance for civilians in times of war or dearth” (by 1917).
. Frequently used in plural.
2. Humanitarian Rations were implemented in response to customer requests for specific feeding requirements for large groups of people. These rations are packaged such as to withstand extreme environmental conditions and to allow air drops when necessary.
S: 1. Etymonline – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=humanitarian+ration (last access: 7 May 2024); MRE – http://www.mreinfo.com/us/current/hdrs.html (last access: 1 October 2015). 2. MRE – http://www.mreinfo.com/us/current/hdrs.html (last access: 1 October 2015).
SYN: humanitarian daily ration
S: MRE – http://www.mreinfo.com/us/current/hdrs.html (last access: 1 October 2015); WFP – https://www.wfp.org/videos/whats-mre (last access: 10 May 2024).
