pénis

Forms

pénis m (invariable)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin pēnis (“tail, penis”).^[2][3][1] The Latin word first named the tail of mammals, in which sense it was replaced by cauda, the source of queue, and was also used for the male member.^[3][4][5] Rey notes that it is an old word, found in Plautus, but popular and rare, avoided because of its meaning.^[3] He derives it, with a suffix in -ni-, from Proto-Indo-European *pesos, also seen in Sanskrit and in Ancient Greek πέος (péos, “penis”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1618, in Guillemeau's Ostomyologie.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Unlike the Latin word, pénis belongs in French to learned and anatomical language.^[3][6] The adjectives pénial (1805, in Cuvier) and pénien were derived from it.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1618 – First record, in Guillemeau's Ostomyologie.^[2][4]
• 1805 – The adjective pénial appears in Cuvier.^[2]
• 1936 – The adjective pénien is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (anatomy) The penis, the male organ of copulation and urination.^[7][8][6]
2. (zoology) The male copulatory organ of mammals, birds, many arthropods and some reptiles.^[2]

Word family

• pénien
• pénial

Related words

• queue
• pinceau
• pénicilline
• Latin pēnis

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse