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muqueux

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Etymology and origin of the French word muqueux

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1520 Le Guidon en françois More words from the 16th century
Borrowed from
Latin mucosus
Ultimate origin
Latin mūcus

Pronunciation

Forms

muqueux (feminine muqueuse, masculine plural muqueux, feminine plural muqueuses)[1] Middle French muscose (1520) and mucqueuse (16th century).[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin mūcōsus (“mucous”),[3][2][1][5] a derivative of mūcus (“mucus, snot”).[2][6][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1520, as muscose, in Le Guidon en françois, the French version of Guy de Chauliac's surgery, of an unnatural phlegm like the mucus expelled through the nostrils.[3][2][6]

Semantic evolution

Used in anatomy for what contains or secretes mucus and for what has the nature of mucus, the adjective is often joined to glande (glandes muqueuses, 1762) and membrane (membrane muqueuse, Bichat, 1801).[2][3] Fièvre muqueuse (1806) named a mild form of typhoid fever.[2][6] The feminine became a noun, muqueuse (1801), for the mucous membrane, now the commonest use of the word.[2][3]

Timeline

  • 1520 – First record, as muscose.[3][2]
  • 1762 – Glandes muqueuses in the Académie's dictionary.[3][2]
  • 1801 – Bichat uses membrane muqueuse and the noun muqueuse.[3][2]
  • 1806 – Fièvre muqueuse is recorded.[3][2]
  • 1817 – Sous-muqueuse is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Having the nature of mucus or mucosities.[7][8][6]
  2. Secreting mucus: glande muqueuse;[7][8][3] (dated) membrane muqueuse, now muqueuse.[7][8][3]
  3. (dated) Fièvre muqueuse: a mild typhoid or paratyphoid fever.[6][2]

Word family

  • muqueuse
  • mucus
  • mucosité
  • Latin mūcōsus

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 m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/3, 185a
  6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Muqueux.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/muqueux. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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