prosthèse

Forms

prosthèse f (plural prosthèses)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πρόσθεσις (prósthesis, “application of one thing to another, addition of an initial letter or syllable”), which had passed into Late Latin as a grammatical term;^[2] the GLLF and the Grand Robert give the Late Latin prosthesis as the immediate source.^[3][4][5] The Greek noun is derived from προστίθημι (prostíthēmi, “to put to, apply”),^[2][3] from πρός (prós, “towards, beside”) and τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put”).^[3][6]

The same word was earlier written prothèse, recorded in surgery in 1694 and in grammar in 1704; the present spelling took both senses in the 18th century, and the older one is now the usual form in surgery.^[3][4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is medical: in 1658, in the works of the surgeon François Thevenin, it names the replacement of a lost part of the body by an artificial piece.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The grammatical sense, the addition of a letter or syllable at the beginning of a word without change of meaning, is recorded in the Encyclopédie in 1765.^[2][3] Littré illustrates it with espérer from Latin sperare.^[6]

In surgery the form prothèse won, and prosthèse is now dated there;^[2][3][6] in linguistics too it is a less common synonym of prothèse.^[2][3] The derivative prosthétique is recorded in grammar in 1898 and in biology in 1907.^[2]

Timeline

• 1658 – First record, in surgery, in the works of François Thevenin.^[2]
• 1694 – The form prothèse appears in surgery.^[3]
• 1752 – The Trévoux dictionary has prosthèse in the surgical sense.^[3]
• 1765 – The Encyclopédie uses it as a term of grammar.^[2][3]
• 1898 – The derivative prosthétique is recorded in grammar.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (linguistics) Prosthesis, the addition of a non-etymological letter or syllable at the start of a word without change of meaning; also the element so added.^[7][6][2]
2. (obsolete, surgery) The replacement of a lost part of the body by an artificial piece; a prothèse.^[2][3][6]

Word family

• prosthétique

Related words

• prothèse
• aphérèse
• thèse
• Ancient Greek πρόσθεσις (prósthesis)

Usage notes

Both senses are more often expressed by the form prothèse;^[2][6] Littré already noted that surgeons rather said prothèse.^[2][6] The opposite process in grammar is aphérèse.^[7]

References

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