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neurone

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Etymology and origin of the French word neurone

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1896 Archives de neurologie More words from the 19th century
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek νεῦρον
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek νεῦρον
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron)
English neuron
French neurone
From the same root
English neural ← νεῦρον
English neurotic ← νεῦρον

Pronunciation

Forms

neurone m (plural neurones)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve, fibre, sinew”), a learned formation.[2][3][1] The route of the borrowing is not clear: English had neuron in 1884, and the German anatomist Waldeyer used Neuron in 1891 in the modern sense.[3][4] The Petit Robert takes the French word from the German one.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1896 in the Archives de neurologie, for the nerve cell.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The word names the cell that is the basic unit of nervous tissue, made of a cell body and its extensions.[3][2] In computing, neurone formel is a model of the simplified working of a biological neuron, and the network of such models is a réseau de neurones formels.[5] The adjectives neuronique (1905) and neuronal (1914, after English neuronal) competed, and neuronal won.[3]

Timeline

  • 1891 – Waldeyer uses German Neuron in the modern sense.[3][4]
  • 1893 – Date the Petit Robert gives for the French word.[5]
  • 1896 – Neurone in the Archives de neurologie.[2][6]
  • 1914 – The adjective neuronal.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (biology) A neuron, a nerve cell made of a cell body, an axone and dendrites.[5][2]
  2. (computing) Neurone formel: an artificial neuron, a model of a biological neuron.[5]

Word family

  • neuronal

References

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

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Neurone.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/neurone. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·