fécal

Forms

fécal (feminine fécale, masculine plural fécaux, feminine plural fécales)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin faex (“dregs, sediment, excrement”), a learned formation built on the stem of its genitive ⟨faecis⟩ with the suffix -al.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} Littré gives the source as Latin faecalis.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is matieres fecales in 1478, in Panis's French translation of the Guidon; an earlier fetal is a transcription error.^[2] Rey also dates the word to 1478,^[7] while Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the GLLF give 1503, in a work of Chauliac.^[3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word has been a medical and scientific term from the start, for what relates to the excrement of people and animals.^[2][6] In the 16th century Paré writes of excremens fecaux.^[6] Its chief use is in matières fécales, excrement.^[5][8][9]

Beside it French took the Latin plural as fèces, used in the sense of excrement since 1515.^[7]

Timeline

• 1478 – Matieres fecales appears in Panis's translation of the Guidon.^[2][7]
• 1503 – Date given by Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF, from Chauliac.^[3][5]
• 1515 – Fèces is used for excrement.^[7]
• 16th century – Paré writes excremens fecaux.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (physiology) Relating to faeces, to human or animal excrement: un prélèvement fécal.^[2][8][9]
2. Matières fécales: excrement.^[5][8][6]

Related words

• fèces
• fécule
• Latin faex

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 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 d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)