psychiatrie

Forms

psychiatrie f (plural psychiatries)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French psychiatre + -ie.^[2][3][1][4] The DHLF adds that it may be borrowed from German Psychiatrie, used by Heinroth in 1818, earlier Psychiaterie (Reil and Hoffbauer, about 1810).^[5]

The base noun (1802) is a compound of the Greek words Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “soul”) and ἰατρός (iatrós, “physician”).^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1842, in the Complément of the Académie's dictionary, for the medicine of mental illness.^[2][6][5]

Semantic evolution

Like psychiatre, the word was at first theoretical and rare;^[5] the Grand Robert says it was rare before the end of the 19th century.^[6] French dictionaries list it after 1840 without much comment, and the first encyclopedia to treat it in some detail seems to be Berthelot's, around 1900.^[5] The discipline it names grew from the medical theories of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as from the reform of the treatment of the insane, with Pinel in France and the law of 1838 on asylums.^[5] As the word spread, psychiatre replaced the older aliéniste.^[5] In the 20th century it was defined against neurologie, psychanalyse and psychopathologie.^[5]

Timeline

• 1802 – Psychiatre is first recorded.^[2][3]
• About 1810 – Reil and Hoffbauer use German Psychiaterie.^[5]
• 1818 – Heinroth uses German Psychiatrie.^[5]
• 1842 – The Académie's Complément records psychiatrie.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. psychiatry, the branch of medicine that studies and treats mental illnesses and disorders of the mind.^[7][2][4]
2. A psychiatric department of a hospital: il a été hospitalisé en psychiatrie.^[8][4]

Word family

• psychiatrique
• antipsychiatrie
• pédopsychiatrie
• neuropsychiatrie

Related words

• psychiatre
• aliéniste
• German Psychiatrie
• English psychiatry

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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org