Etymologically
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maladie

Etymology and origin of the French word maladie

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1150
Ultimate origin
Latin (habeō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French malade
French maladie

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ma.la.di/[1]

Forms

maladie f (plural maladies)[1]

Etymology

It is from French malade + -ie, an Old French formation.[2][3][4][1] The adjective malade continues Latin male habitus (“in poor condition”), with the verb habeō in the sense “to be in a given state”; it is found as “sick” in Aulus Gellius (2nd century) and ousted classical aeger.[4] Old French also used malage, formed from mal.[5]

Compare Italian malattia, Catalan malaltia and Old Occitan malaptia.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The GLLF and the Grand Robert date it to about 1150; the 12th-century translation of the Maccabees has E après ceo si chay en maladie “and after this he fell ill”.[6][3][5] In Guillaume de Lorris's Roman de la Rose (1225–30) it is used figuratively for anything that troubles the mind.[2]

Semantic evolution

Robert Estienne (1538) applies it to animals and Palissy (1563) to plants, Guez de Balzac (1652) speaks of the diseases that afflict states, and Molière's Malade imaginaire (1673) of la maladie des médecins, a mania.[2] Froissart calls leprosy la grosse maladie.[5] Phrases include maladie chronique (14th century), faire une maladie (Diderot, 1762), en faire une maladie “to make oneself ill over something” (Littré, 1867) and maladie professionnelle (law of 9 April 1908).[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1150 – First record.[6][3]
  • 1225–30 – Figurative use, Guillaume de Lorris.[2]
  • 14th century – Maladie chronique.[6]
  • 1538 – Of animals, Robert Estienne.[2]
  • 1563 – Of plants, Palissy.[2]
  • 1652 – Of states, Guez de Balzac.[2]
  • 1673 – “Mania”, Molière.[2][6]
  • 1908 – Maladie professionnelle.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An illness, disease: maladie grave, chronique, contagieuse, les maladies infantiles, congé de maladie, sick leave.[7][1]
  2. A disease of animals or plants.[2][6]
  3. (figurative) A disorder of the mind, of society or a state.[2]
  4. A mania, obsession: la maladie de la vitesse.[2][6]
  5. (familiar) En faire une maladie: to get into a state about something.[6]

Word family

  • maladif

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Maladie.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/maladie. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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