To Fast (Hebrew: tsuwm; Greek: nsteú), verb.
A Fast, Fasting (Heb: tsowm; Grk: nsteía, nstis), noun.
'Fastingly', Fasting (Hebrew: t^evath), adverb.
Fasting (Greek: ásitos), adjective.

The classic lexicon of Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius defines the Hebrew verb tsuwm as "to abstain from food, to fast". No further elaboration is needed. It is used 20 times in the Old Testament, and each time it just means, "keep away from food". The verb is used in Isaiah 58, both verse 3 and 4; the noun tsowm is used in Daniel 9:3.

This lexicon defines the Hebrew adverb t^evath as "fastingly, hungrily". Used only in Daniel 6:18, it describes how King Darius spent the night after putting Daniel in the lion's den: he couldn't eat.

The New Testament particle n, "not" and verb esthí, "to eat" combine to make the noun nstis, "not having eaten". (It can't mean liquefied or bland food.) Thayer's Greek Lexicon traces both the verb nsteú and the noun nsteía to this same root: eating no food.

Thayer defines the verb nsteú as "to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink" (but thinks it could mean to keep "from customary and choice nourishment", if fasting several days).

In Thayer, the noun nsteía is defined as "a fasting, fast, i.e. abstinence from food", both private and public fasts, and "fasting caused by want or poverty". He defines the adjective ásitos as "fasting; without having eaten". Basically, join "not" and "to eat".

Even though there is no linguistic link between the Hebrew and the Greek words, they all refer to the same thing: the lack of taking nourishment into the body; in other words, going hungry.

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Words can often be used beyond their literal meaning. We do this when speaking metaphorically or symbolically. But it can confuse (or even mislead) others when we do it.

The English word "fast" is a good example. The highly authoritative (and very exhaustive) Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language (the big one, 2230 pages) says fast is "1. To abstain from all food."

For who knows how long, it has been customary to eat an evening meal, and then at some point, go to bed and not eat anything else for several hours. This period of not eating (this fast), we finally break with the morning meal; hence we've given our morning meal the name "break-fast".

In Daniel 9:3, Daniel says he spent time in prayer and in fasting (tsowm). By using this specific noun, he tells us he ate no food at that time. So, his "Daniel Fast" is no food.

However, in Daniel 1:12, he did not say "fast", because he did eat. He had "nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink". This wasn't feasting, but it wasn't fasting, either. So, he said he ate. But he did give up certain types of food.

When Jesus fasted (nsteú), he was hungry (Matthew 4:2). That's expected when no food is taken. It wouldn't be so if he had been eating vegetables or on a liquid food diet.

When he was about to send 4,000 followers home after 3 days of no food, he was concerned for their hunger: "I will not send them away fasting [nstis] lest they faint along the way" (Matthew 15:32, Mark 8:3). So he fed them.

Between Ash Wednesday and Easter, many Christians spend time in self-examination, contemplation, and repentance. Some give up a pastime (like TV), or a type of food (like sugar). This is abstaining. It is a good discipline. Others give up food (remember to drink plenty of water). This is fasting. It, too, is a good discipline. Both are valuable for our spiritual health (and physical health, also).

Sometimes we fast (give up our food), and sometimes we abstain (give up our comfort). But whichever discipline you choose, make the most of it: take all that extra time you now get and invest it in heavenly treasures , not earthly ones.