anémie

Forms

anémie f (plural anémies)^[1] Formerly also written anaemie (1752) and anhémie (1838).^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin anaemia, the scientific Latin form of Ancient Greek ἀναιμία (anaimía, “lack of blood”), a word used by Aristotle;^[2][3][4][1] the TLFi takes it from the Greek word, perhaps through a scientific Latin text of 1721.^[5][6] The Greek is formed ἀν- (an-, “not, without”) and αἷμα (haîma, “blood”).^[2][3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in February 1722, in a review in the Journal des savants of Michel Albert's medical treatise, as the name of a disease of too little blood, one that physicians neglected.^[5][8]

Semantic evolution

In the old medicine the word meant exhaustion caused by a lack of blood; the modern concept is a shortage of red blood cells and haemoglobin.^[2][5] It became common in the first third of the 19th century, but because the syndrome is vague it has aged except in phrases that make it precise, such as anémie pernicieuse.^[2][5]

Like anémié and anémique, it took a figurative sense of weakness or decline.^[2][8] English anaemia (1824) was a medical term taken from French and its Latin model.^[9]

Timeline

• 1722 – First record, in the Journal des savants.^[5][8]
• 1752 – The spelling anaemie is found.^[2]
• 1824 – English anaemia is recorded.^[9]
• 1833 – Anémique is recorded, after anhémique (1826).^[2]
• 1857 – The adjective anémié is recorded.^[2]
• 1866 – The verb anémier “to make anaemic” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (medicine) Anaemia, a fall in the number of red blood cells and in their haemoglobin, causing pallor and fatigue: anémie pernicieuse.^[5][10]
2. (figurative) A weakening or decline in quantity or quality: l'anémie du commerce.^[8][2]

Word family

• anémier
• anémique

Related words

• anémié
• Ancient Greek ἀναιμία (anaimía)

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f 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
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 516a
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert