pharmacopée

Forms

pharmacopée f (plural pharmacopées)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek φαρμακοποιία (pharmakopoiía, “preparation of drugs”), a compound of φάρμακον (phármakon, “drug, remedy”) and ποιέω (poiéō, “to make”).^[2][3][4][5] Rey calls the Greek word late.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1571, in J. Besson's book on drawing oils and waters, in the sense “the art of preparing medicines”.^[2][6][4]

Semantic evolution

In its first sense the word stayed very rare before the 19th century.^[6][2] From 1680 (Richelet) it named a book on the preparation of medicines, which became the official national collection of drugs with their composition and preparation, the sense the word keeps in technical language.^[2][6][7] From 1802 it is also the whole stock of medicines and pharmaceutical products, the sense of ordinary use, as in pharmacopée traditionnelle.^[2][6][7]

Timeline

• 1571 – First record, in J. Besson, “art of preparing medicines”.^[2]
• 1680 – Richelet records the sense “book on preparing medicines”.^[2][4]
• 1802 – Baudry des Lozières uses it for the stock of medicines.^[2]
• 1832 – The first sense is found again, in Raymond.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (pharmacy) A pharmacopoeia, the official collection describing the medicines in use, their composition and preparation.^[2][7]
2. A list of medicines; by extension, a body of remedies: la pharmacopée des guérisseurs.^[7][4]
3. (rare) The art of preparing medicines.^[2][6]

Related words

• pharmacie
• pharmacien
• pharmacologie
• pharmaceutique
• Ancient Greek φάρμακον (phármakon)

References

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