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Etymology and origin of the French word physique

physique1 physical; build

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1487 (as phisique, “natural”)
Borrowed from
Latin physicus
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek φύσις

Pronunciation

Forms

physique (plural physiques); as a noun, m[1][2]

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Latin physicus (“natural, relating to the study of nature”),[3][4][1][5] from Ancient Greek φυσικός (phusikós, “natural, relating to nature”), derived from φύσις (phúsis, “nature”).[3][4][6] It was first written phisique (1487).[3] Bloch and Wartburg think it was rare before the 17th century and developed its senses alongside those of the feminine noun.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1487 it was a synonym of naturel, “natural”.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In the 17th century it took the sense “material, bodily, of the natural order” (1651, Pascal), and in impossibilité physique (1694) it meant “real, actual” as opposed to moral or metaphysical.[3][4] The 18th century brought géographie physique (1721), sciences physiques (1730) and mal physique (1727); it was said of the human being as a body, as opposed to the moral or mental side (1746, Montesquieu), of the body itself (éducation physique, 1733) and of sexuality (1745, amour physique, 1861).[3] It also qualified spontaneous bodily reactions such as fear (1796), and personne physique, a natural person in law, appears in 1901.[3]

As a masculine noun le physique is found from 1733, at first in contrast with le moral (au physique, 1755), then for a person's outward appearance (1762).[3] In the theatre it named the general look of a character (1777), as in le physique du rôle (1842).[3][8] English borrowed the noun as English physique, “bodily build”, in 1826.[9]

Timeline

  • 1487 – Phisique “natural”.[3]
  • 1651 – Pascal: “material, bodily”.[3][4]
  • 1694 – Impossibilité physique.[3]
  • 1733 – Éducation physique; the noun le physique.[3]
  • 1762 – Le physique, a person's appearance.[3]
  • 1826 – English physique.[9]
  • 1842 – Le physique du rôle.[3][8]
  • 1901 – Personne physique in law.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to nature and the material world; physical: géographie physique.[2][10]
  2. Relating to the human body, as opposed to the mind: un effort physique, éducation physique, physical education.[2][10][3]
  3. Instinctive, bodily rather than reasoned: une peur physique.[10][3]
  4. Relating to sexual relations, carnal: l'amour physique.[10][3]
  5. Relating to physics: les propriétés physiques d'un corps.[10][6]
  6. (law) Personne physique: a natural person, as opposed to a personne morale (legal entity).[3]

Noun

  1. Bodily constitution, au physique, physically.[10][3]
  2. A person's outward appearance, physique, looks: un physique séduisant.[10][2][3]
  3. (theatre) Avoir le physique de l'emploi, du rôle: to look the part.[3][8]

Word family

  • physiquement

physique2 physics

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
12th century, Eneas (as fusique)
Borrowed from
Latin physica
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek φύσις

Pronunciation

Forms

physique f (plural physiques)[1]

Etymology

The science is borrowed from Latin physica (“natural science, (in the Middle Ages) medicine”),[7][4][11][3] from Ancient Greek φυσική (phusikḗ, “the study of nature”), the feminine of φυσικός (phusikós) used as a noun, from φύσις (phúsis, “nature”).[3][11] It was first written fusique and fisique (12th century), then phisique (about 1265) after the Greek spelling, and ⟨physique⟩ from 1487.[3][11][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Roman d'Eneas (12th century) fusique means the art of medicine.[11][4][3]

Semantic evolution

The sense “medicine”, also found in Medieval Latin, lasted until the 17th century and passed into English physic.[3][7] The derived physicien likewise meant a physician in the Middle Ages, written fisicien, whence English physician.[7] The broader sense “knowledge of the things of nature” appears in 1165 and is still given by Furetière in 1690;[3][7] physique also meant natural philosophy (1552), the science of all material nature in Descartes's use.[3][7]

The modern sense, a science distinct from chemistry, is clearly attested in Fontenelle in 1708;[3][7][11] later came physique moléculaire (1869, Littré) and physique atomique, nucléaire (1949, Larousse).[11] By metonymy the word named a treatise on physics (1633, Gassendi) and the school class where it was taught.[3][8]

Timeline

  • 12th century – Fusique “medicine” in the Roman d'Eneas.[11][3]
  • 1165 – Fisique “knowledge of natural things”.[3]
  • c. 1265 – The spelling phisique.[3]
  • 1487 – The spelling physique.[3][4]
  • 1552 – “Natural philosophy”.[3]
  • 1633 – Gassendi: a treatise on physics.[3]
  • 1708 – Fontenelle: the modern science of physics.[3][11][7]
  • 1949 – Physique nucléaire in Larousse.[11]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Physics, the science of matter and its fundamental properties and laws: physique nucléaire, physique théorique.[12][2][1]
  2. (history) The philosophical study of nature, in Antiquity, among the Scholastics or in Descartes.[12][2]
  3. (old) A treatise or textbook of physics.[8][3]
  • physicien
  • métaphysique
  • Latin physicus
  • Ancient Greek φύσις (phúsis)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 8, 410a
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b c d e Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  12. ^ a b 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

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Physique.” Etymologically, 22 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/physique. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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