Ration and Reason Come From the Same Calculation
A ration is a fixed allowance. The Latin root means a reckoning, which also gives us reason, rate and ratio.
A ration is a fixed allowance, especially of food. The Latin *ratio* means a reckoning or calculation, and it produced an unusually varied family: *ration*, *ratio*, *rate*, *rational* and *reason*. A ration is a calculated portion, and reason is a calculated argument — both are the same underlying act of reckoning.
- A fixed allowance. *A weekly ration.*
- To limit supply. *Ration the fuel.*
- Rations — food supplies. *Army rations.*
- Rationing — the system of limits. *Wartime rationing.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | ration | A daily ration. |
| Plural | rations | Field rations. |
| Verb | ration | Ration the water. |
| Noun | rationing | Petrol rationing. |
| Related | ratio | A ratio of two to one. |
How it is used in a sentence
- British rationing lasted until 1954.Nine years after the war ended.
- Ration and reason share a root.Latin *ratio*, a reckoning.
- Rationalise means to make rational, or to explain away.Two senses.
Words from *ratio*
- Ration — a calculated portion
- Ratio — a calculated relation
- Rate — a calculated amount per unit
- Rational — governed by reckoning
- Reason — through French, the faculty of reckoning
From Latin *rationem*, a reckoning or calculation, from *reri*, to reckon.
How long did British rationing last?
From 1940 until 1954. Meat was the last item to come off ration, nine years after the war ended.
Are reason and ration related?
Yes. Both descend from Latin *ratio*, a reckoning, through Latin and French respectively.