autopsie

Forms

autopsie f (plural autopsies)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτοψία (autopsía, “seeing with one's own eyes”), first recorded in 1573.^[2][3][4][1] The Greek word is formed with αὐτός (autós, “self”) and ὄψις (ópsis, “sight”).^[5][4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1573, in Desmare.^[6] Rey notes that this first use is absolute;^[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg say the word was borrowed for its medical sense, and in the 16th century also meant “act of examining”.^[2][3] It remained rare until the 19th century.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

How the Greek sense “seeing for oneself” became “examination of a corpse” is not clear.^[2] For a long time people said autopsie cadavérique, as they said dissection cadavérique, and Rey suggests the word may have served as a euphemism for a practice that was often condemned.^[2][6] English autopsy took the sense of dissection in the 1670s, probably from the French word.^[7]

In 1751 the Greek religious sense, a contemplative state in which one beheld the gods, was borrowed, but it had no lasting use.^[2][3] The Académie recorded it from 1798 to 1878.^[8] The figurative sense “thorough examination” appears in Victor Hugo in 1827 and is fairly common.^[2][9] The verb autopsier is found in Flaubert in 1857.^[2]

Timeline

• 1573 – First recorded.^[2][6]
• 1670s – English autopsy takes the sense of dissection, probably from French.^[7]
• 1751 – The mystical sense is borrowed from Greek.^[2][3]
• 1798 – The Académie records the mystical sense.^[8]
• 1827 – Victor Hugo uses it figuratively.^[2][9]
• 1857 – The verb autopsier appears in Flaubert.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (medicine) The dissection and examination of a corpse, especially to find the cause of death: Le juge a ordonné une autopsie.^[9][10][1]
2. (figurative, literary) A close, thorough examination: l'autopsie d'une défaite.^[9][10]
3. (rare) A mystical vision in which, according to the Greeks, one beheld the gods and shared in their power.^[8][6][5]

Related words

• optique
• Ancient Greek αὐτοψία (autopsía)
• English autopsy

Usage notes

The older term for the medical examination was autopsie cadavérique, and Littré calls the bare autopsie an abuse.^[6][5] The first vowel is pronounced /o/ or /ɔ/.^[1][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c 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
9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)