inhaler

Forms

inhaler^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin inhālō (“to breathe upon, give off an odour”),^[2][3][4] formed from in- (“in, into”) and hālō (“to breathe out, give off an odour”).^[4][5][6] It was taken, like inhalation, as the opposite of exhaler and exhalation, so that its French sense “to breathe in” differs from the Latin one.^[2][3][4]

The infinitive is first found in Brillat-Savarin in 1825, but the word is probably older, since the adjective inhalant is recorded in 1791;^[4][7] the TLFi dates the verb from Bescherelle in 1845.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adjective inhalant appears first, in physiology in 1791, of vessels meant to absorb liquids; the verb is used by Brillat-Savarin in 1825.^[4][2][7]

Semantic evolution

Bescherelle (1845) records the verb in the sense “to breathe in by inhalation”, especially of gases and vapours taken in through the airways for treatment.^[2][5] Littré (1867) has the general sense “to absorb by breathing in”, and Larousse (1873) the plain sense “to breathe in”, now dated when used without an object.^[5] In modern French it is a learned and medical word for breathing in air, smoke, gas or vapour, and is sometimes used figuratively of absorbing something.^[8][2]

Timeline

• 1760 – The noun inhalation is borrowed from Late Latin.^[4][3]
• 1791 – The adjective inhalant is used in physiology.^[2][4]
• 1825 – Brillat-Savarin uses the infinitive inhaler.^[4][7]
• 1845 – Bescherelle records it in the sense “to breathe in by inhalation”.^[2][5]
• 1867 – Littré records “to absorb by breathing in”.^[5]
• 1873 – Larousse records the plain sense “to breathe in”.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To breathe in, to inhale air, smoke or a gas.^[8][2]
2. (medicine) To take in gases or vapours through the airways for treatment.^[5][8]
3. Faire inhaler: to make an animal or person breathe in gases, vapours or toxic dust.^[2]
4. (figurative) To absorb.^[2]

Related words

• inhalation
• inhalant
• exhaler
• haleine
• Latin inhālō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 692b
7. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert