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morphine

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Etymology and origin of the French word morphine

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1817 Journal de pharmacie More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek μορφή
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French morphine
English morphine

Pronunciation

Forms

morphine f (uncountable)[1]

Etymology

It is a learned derivative from French Morphée + -ine, from the name of the god of sleep and dreams, because the alkaloid makes one sleep.[2][3][4][5][6] The god's name is from Latin Morpheus, from Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús),[2][3][1] which Rey derives from μορφή (morphḗ, “form”): Morpheus took the form of human beings to show himself to sleepers in their dreams.[3][2]

The substance was isolated at the start of the 19th century by the French pharmacists Derosne (1803) and Seguin (1804), and identified and named in 1816 by the German pharmacist Sertürner.[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1817 in the Journal de pharmacie, for the main alkaloid of opium.[2][3][5] Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the GLLF date it to 1818.[4][8][9]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its chemical sense, while in common use it names the salts of morphine given as a pain-killer or sleeping drug, and the drug taken as a narcotic.[5][2] In the 19th century it gave morphiné (1852), later se morphiner (1894) and se morphiniser (1885), morphinisme (before 1877) and morphinomane (1883).[3][2] Chemistry later formed apomorphine (1872) and diamorphine (1953).[3] English took morphine in 1828 from the French word or the German one.[7]

Timeline

  • 1817 – Morphine appears in the Journal de pharmacie.[2][3]
  • 1818 – Orfila writes on the action of morphine on the body.[8]
  • 1828 – English borrows the word.[7]
  • 1852 – The adjective morphiné appears.[3]
  • before 1877 – Morphinisme is used in a medical thesis.[2][3]
  • 1883 – Morphinomane appears.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (chemistry) The main alkaloid of opium, with analgesic and sleep-inducing properties.[5][2] Morphine-base: raw morphine before purification.[5][2]
  2. A salt of morphine used as a pain-killer or sedative, or taken as a narcotic drug.[5][2]

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 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 k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, 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 e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Morphine.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/morphine. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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