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microbiologie

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Etymology and origin of the French word microbiologie

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1883 Encyclopédie chimique More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origins
Pre-GreekProto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃-French -logie
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós)
French microbe
French microbiologie
From the same root
Latin microscopium ← μικρός
English microbial ← microbe

Pronunciation

  • /mi.kʁɔ.bjɔ.lɔ.ʒi/[1]

Forms

microbiologie f (uncountable)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French microbe + -logie, through a combining form ⟨microbio-⟩ taken from microbe.[2][3][4] Today it is felt as a compound of micro- and biologie, which is how Wiktionary analyses it;[2][1][3] Rey calls this analysis incorrect.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1883, in the Encyclopédie chimique edited by Fremy, as the name of the science of microbes.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word grew up around Pasteur's discoveries and replaced microbie (about 1880), which had disappeared by the early 20th century.[3] The same decade gave microbiologique (1886, Pasteur) and microbiologiste (1890, Maupassant).[3][2] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date the word from 1888.[5][6]

Timeline

  • 1883 – First record, in the Encyclopédie chimique.[2][3]
  • 1886 – Pasteur uses microbiologique.[2][3]
  • 1888 – The Grand Robert's date, from a session of the Académie des sciences.[5]
  • 1890 – Microbiologiste appears in Maupassant.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (science) microbiology, the study of microscopic organisms (bacteria, viruses, microscopic fungi and protists).[6][2]

Word family

  • microbiologique
  • microbiologiste

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Microbiologie.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/microbiologie. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·