Nourish

Do we nourish ourselves ON something?

Or do we nourish ourselves WITH something?

Or does it matter?

I'm using this sentence specifically:

"Would you have us nourish ourselves on sewage and ash?" and I'm debating whether or not I should change the on to a with.

Debate.

 

I would definetely use with.

 

The Google ngram viewer shows that both have always been used, but "nourish with" has usually been more common.

 

I would also use "with."

 

You can use either one. I find both of them (for me at least) just as easy to read.

 

i'd find 'on' awkward and would consider it incorrect, whether or not this or that dictionary dared to disagree...

 

"On" certainly seems to be dying out, although around 1920 it was more common.

 

It is akin to using it this way:

"They were high on drugs."

 

being 'high' has no connection to being 'nourished' that i can see...

 

Well, I wasn't talking about "high" and "nourished." I was talking about "on."

On drugs.

Nourished on.

The word "on" is used the same in both examples.