névrose

Forms

névrose f (plural névroses)^[1] First written neurose (1785).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English neurosis, adapted to French; the English term was coined for nervous diseases by the Scottish physician William Cullen in his treatise of medicine (1777).^[3][4][2] Pinel introduced it into French, spelled ⟨neurose⟩, in his translation of Cullen.^[3][2] It is a learned formation from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve”) with the suffix -ose, taken from Greek -ωσις (-ōsis), which forms names of non-inflammatory diseases.^[3][2][5] The Petit Robert and the GLLF analyse it as névro- plus the suffix, the Petit Robert adding “perhaps after the English”.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pinel uses neurose in 1785, in his Institutions de médecine pratique, for a functional disorder of the nervous system without any known lesion.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

For Cullen, Pinel and medicine until the end of the 19th century, the word covered all nervous symptoms with no known organic cause;^[3] Gilbert Ballet still counted Parkinson's disease and epilepsy among the neuroses.^[3] This medical sense is now dated.^[2]

The modern sense comes from German Neurose as used by Freud, who built his theory of the neuroses on the study of hysterical patients; in French it is found from 1895 (névrose anxieuse).^[3][2] From Freud's classification came névrose obsessionnelle and névrose d'angoisse (1896), and later névrose traumatique (1900), after German Schreckneurose, and névrose actuelle (1924).^[3] The adjective and noun névrosé (1857) has passed into general use.^[3][2]

Timeline

• 1777 – Cullen's treatise has the English term neurosis.^[3]
• 1785 – Pinel introduces neurose in French.^[2][3]
• 1857 – Névrosé is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1895 – Used in the psychoanalytic sense, in Freud's Obsessions et phobies.^[2][3]
• 1896 – Névrose obsessionnelle and névrose d'angoisse appear in French.^[3]
• 1900 – Névrose traumatique is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (psychiatry) A neurosis: a disorder marked by anxiety, phobias or obsessions, of which the patient is aware but cannot rid himself, without loss of the mind's integrity: Sa peur des ascenseurs avait tourné à la névrose.^[6][7][1]
2. (pathology, dated) A functional disorder of the nervous system without any organic lesion.^[2][8]

Word family

• névrosé
• psychonévrose

Related words

• névrotique
• névro-
• English neurosis

Usage notes

Psychiatry contrasts névroses with psychoses; set terms include névrose obsessionnelle, névrose traumatique and névrose de transfert.^[6][3]

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 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 l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 106b
6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette