obstétrique

Forms

obstétrique (plural obstétriques)^[1] Middle French had borrowed the Latin noun as obstetrice “midwife” in 1515.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin obstētrīx (“midwife”), a learned formation of 1803 with the ending of scientific terms in -ique such as botanique.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin word, found from Plautus on, comes from obstō (“to stand before”), from ob (“in front of”) and stō (“to stand”), because the midwife stands in front of the mother to receive the child.^[3][6][7] Wiktionary gives a Medical Latin form obstetricus (“belonging to a midwife”) as the intermediate step.^[1] Middle French had already taken the Latin noun as obstetrice “midwife” (1515).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1803, in the works of Laurence Sterne in French, as an adjective meaning “relating to the technique of childbirth”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The word was first an adjective; as a noun naming the science and technique of delivering children it is recorded from 1834, in Boiste.^[2][3][6] The adjectival use then passed to obstétrical (1818), perhaps modelled on English obstetrical.^[3][8] The noun now names the branch of medicine dealing with pregnancy, childbirth and their aftermath.^[2][8] English had obstetric as an adjective from 1742, while its noun obstetrics (1819) is later than the French one.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1515 – Middle French obstetrice “midwife” is recorded in Jean Falco.^[2]
• 1803 – Obstétrique appears as an adjective.^[2][6]
• 1818 – The adjective obstétrical is recorded.^[3][8]
• 1834 – Boiste records the noun.^[2][6]
• 1971 – The derivative obstétricien “obstetrician” is first recorded.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Obstetrics, the branch of médecine that deals with pregnancy and childbirth.^[2][8]

Adjective

1. (rare) Obstetric, relating to childbirth; obstétrical is now usual.^[6][3][1]

Word family

• obstétrical
• obstétricien

Related words

• Latin obstētrīx

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 290a
6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert