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pharmacologie

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Etymology and origin of the French word pharmacologie

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1738 Bibliothèque britannique More words from the 18th century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek φάρμακον,λόγος

Pronunciation

  • /faʁ.ma.kɔ.lɔ.ʒi/[1]

Forms

pharmacologie f (plural pharmacologies)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French pharmaco- + -logie,[2][3][4][5] that is from Ancient Greek φάρμακον (phármakon, “drug, poison”) and λόγος (lógos, “discourse, treatise”).[6][7] The earlier term was the noun pharmaceutique.[3][4][6] The English word pharmacology is recorded from 1721, formed in New Latin in the 1680s.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1738, in the Bibliothèque britannique, in a review of W. Dave's remarks on pharmacology, meaning the theory of drugs and their use, or a treatise on it.[2][9]

Semantic evolution

In 1842 the Académie's supplement recorded the sense “natural and medical history of drugs”.[2][9] During the 19th century pharmacology became a science of its own, joining chemical and therapeutic knowledge, and in the 20th century it came to include chemotherapy.[5]

It produced pharmacologiste (1799), pharmacologue (1836) and pharmacologique (1808 in the DHLF, 1803 in the TLFi).[5][2]

Timeline

  • 1738 – First recorded in the Bibliothèque britannique.[2][9]
  • 1799 – Pharmacologiste is recorded.[5]
  • 1803 – Boiste records pharmacologique.[2]
  • 1842 – The Académie's supplement records the sense “history of drugs”.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. pharmacology, the science of drugs, their properties, their action on the body and their use.[4][6][10]
  2. (dated) The natural and medical history of drugs.[2][9]

Word family

  • pharmacologique
  • pharmacologiste
  • pharmacologue

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Pharmacologie.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/pharmacologie. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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