équin

Forms

équin (feminine équine, masculine plural équins, feminine plural équines)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin equīnus (“of horses”),^[2][1] from Latin equus (“horse”).^[3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1509 in O. de Saint-Gelais's translation of the Aeneid, meaning “of the horse”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it before 1502.^[3][4] It remained a learned word, used mainly in veterinary science (virus d'origine équine, encéphalite équine).^[2] In human medicine pied équin names a foot held stretched in line with the leg, so that only its tip rests on the ground, as a horse stands on its hoof;^[2][5] the GLLF dates this sense to Flaubert in 1857, who also used équin alone as a noun in Madame Bovary.^[6][2]

Timeline

• 1509 – Used by O. de Saint-Gelais in his Eneïde.^[2]
• 1857 – Flaubert uses équin for the deformed foot.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Relating to the horse or to the equids: une maladie équine.^[2][4]
2. (medicine) Pied équin: a clubfoot fixed in extension, which rests only on its tip.^[2][4][6]

Noun

1. (medicine) A foot with this deformity.^[2][4]

Related words

• équidé
• équestre
• Latin equus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse