digestif

Forms

digestif (feminine digestive, masculine plural digestifs, feminine plural digestives)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin digestīvus (“digestive”), a word of imperial Latin,^[2][3] described by the Grand Robert and the GLLF as medical Latin.^[4][5] The Latin adjective is formed on digestum, the supine of dīgerō (“to digest”).^[4][5][6]

Cognate with Spanish digestivo and Italian digestivo.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found between 1262 and 1268 in Brunetto Latini's Tresor, in vertu digestive, “the power that promotes digestion”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it first meant anything that helps digestion (late 16th century, a text from Metz on what to take after a bloodletting).^[2] In 16th-century surgery Paré used it for an ointment that brings a wound to suppurate (about 1560), a sense Littré still records in pharmacy.^[5][6]

The noun for a spirit or liqueur taken after a meal arose by ellipsis of alcool digestif, in the same way as apéritif.^[3] Rey dates this use to the late 16th century, the GLLF to the Académie of 1835.^[3][5] The anatomical sense “relating to or serving digestion”, as in appareil digestif and tube digestif, is dated to the 20th century by the GLLF, although Littré already lists both phrases.^[5][6] English borrowed the noun as digestif in 1908.^[7]

Timeline

• 1262–1268 – Brunetto Latini's Tresor has vertu digestive.^[2][3]
• c. 1560 – Paré uses the noun for a wound ointment.^[5][6]
• Late 16th century – The noun is used for something that aids digestion.^[2][3]
• 1835 – The Académie records the noun for an after-dinner liqueur.^[5]
• 1908 – English borrows digestif.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Serving in digestion: appareil digestif (the digestive system), tube digestif (the digestive tract), sucs digestifs.^[8][6][5]
2. Relating to digestion: troubles digestifs.^[8][2]
3. That helps digestion.^[8][6]

Noun

1. A liqueur or spirit drunk after a meal to aid digestion.^[8][5][1]
2. (pharmacy, dated) An ointment that promotes the suppuration of a wound.^[6][5]

Related words

• digérer
• digestion
• digestible
• apéritif
• Latin dīgerō
• English digestif

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert