métabolisme

Forms

métabolisme m (plural métabolismes)^[1]

Etymology

It was coined in French in 1858 from Ancient Greek μεταβολή (metabolḗ, “change”), with the suffix -isme.^[2][3][4][5] The Greek noun is formed on μετά (metá) and βάλλω (bállō, “to throw”).^[1][6] The same Greek word gave métabole.^[2]

English metabolism (1878) is from the French word.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nysten's medical dictionary has it in 1858.^[2] It was first a term of chemistry for all the changes in the molecular nature of a body, the sense Littré gives.^[3][4][7]

Semantic evolution

A little later, by 1903, it received its physiological definition: the whole of the chemical changes that go on in a living organism.^[3][8] A phraseology grew around it: métabolisme basal or de base (1925 according to Rey, 1931 in Larousse according to the GLLF), and métabolisme des glucides, des lipides, des protides, in the general dictionaries from 1963.^[3][8]

The word produced métabolite (1954), and anabolisme and catabolisme (1896) were formed by replacing its first element.^[3]

Timeline

• 1858 – First record, in Nysten's dictionary.^[2][3]
• 1878 – English metabolism is taken from French.^[6]
• 1896 – Catabolisme is formed on its model.^[3]
• 1903 – Larousse gives the modern physiological sense.^[8][3]
• 1925 – Métabolisme basal appears.^[3]
• 1954 – Métabolite is derived from it.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (physiology) metabolism: the whole set of chemical reactions in living matter, both building up (anabolisme) and breaking down to release energy (catabolisme).^[2][5][9]
2. Métabolisme basal or métabolisme de base: the basal metabolic rate, the heat produced per hour and per square metre of body surface by a person fasting and at rest.^[5][8]

Word family

• métabolite

Related words

• métabole
• anabolisme
• catabolisme
• English metabolism

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 d e f g h i j 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
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. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)