lymphe

Forms

lymphe f (plural lymphes)^[1] First limphes (1442), respelt lymphe about 1500.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin lympha (“water”), first in its classical sense; since 1673 it has been the anatomical term of scientific Latin.^{[2][4][3][5][6]} The Latin word was a poetic synonym of aqua, and the water goddesses were called Lymphae.^[3]

According to the DHLF, the ⟨y⟩ and ⟨ph⟩ suggest a Hellenised spelling of an earlier lumpa, perhaps a dialect form (compare Oscan diumpais), and Latin poets connected it with Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “nymph”); it may also be an early popular borrowing of the Greek word with /n/ dissimilated to /l/.^[3] Littré and Wiktionary take it as the same word as nympha.^[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Martin Le Franc, in the Champion des Dames (1442), uses limphes in the Latin sense of “water”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “water” was used in the 15th and 16th centuries.^[5] The anatomical sense appears in Barles's book on the new discoveries in human anatomy (1673), and lymphe interstitielle in 1754.^[2] In older medicine lymph was counted among the four humours, with blood and yellow and black bile.^[3][8] From 1771 it also meant the raw sap of plants.^[2][8] English took lymph from the French word in 1725 in physiology, after earlier use in the sense of pure water.^[9]

Timeline

• 1442 – Limphes “waters” in Martin Le Franc.^[2]
• c. 1500 – Octavien de Saint-Gelais writes lymphe.^[2]
• 1673 – Barles uses it in anatomy.^[2][4]
• 1725 – English borrows the anatomical word.^[9]
• 1754 – Lymphe interstitielle is recorded.^[2]
• 1771 – The Trévoux dictionary uses it for plant sap.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (anatomy, physiology) A colourless or amber body fluid, close in make-up to blood plasma, containing leucocytes and circulating in the lymphatic vessels; it plays a large part in the immune system.^[2][10][11]
2. (historical) In ancient medicine, one of the four humours.^[8][3]
3. (dated, botany) The raw sap of plants.^[8][2]

Word family

• lymphangite
• lymphatisme

Related words

• lymphatique
• nymphe
• Latin lympha
• English lymph

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 l 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 f 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 482a
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
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)