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psychopathe

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Etymology and origin of the French word psychopathe

Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
1894 Sachs-Villatte More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
French psychopathie
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French psychopathe
Romanian psihopat

Pronunciation

  • /psi.kɔ.pat/[1]

Forms

psychopathe m or f by sense (plural psychopathes)[1]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from French psychopathie,[2][3][1] the Grand Robert analysing it as psycho- and -pathe after that noun.[4][5] The noun (1877, Littré and Robin's medical dictionary) was formed with the same element on the model of névropathie.[2][3] The English psychopath (1885) is likewise a back-formation, from psychopathic.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1894, in Sachs and Villatte's French–German supplement, meaning “mentally ill person”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Common around 1900 in the general sense “mentally ill person”, it is now dated in that sense, even in medicine.[3][5] From 1943 (Sartre) it names more narrowly a person with a psychopathic personality,[2] the main modern sense, which the GLLF dates to 1962.[7][5] It is also used as an adjective.[5][2] Other dictionaries give other dates: the Larousse lexicon about 1880 with a query, the GLLF 1951 (Piéron).[8][7]

Timeline

  • 1877 – Psychopathie is recorded.[2][3]
  • 1894 – First record of psychopathe, in Sachs-Villatte.[2][4]
  • 1943 – Sartre uses it of a person with a psychopathic personality.[2]
  • 1951 – Piéron uses it, the GLLF's first date.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person with a psychopathic personality, a psychopath.[5][9][10][1]
  2. (dated) A person suffering from mental illness.[5][9][10][2]

Adjective

  1. Psychopathic: un criminel psychopathe.[5][9][2]
  • psychopathie
  • psychopathique
  • névropathe
  • English psychopath

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Psychopathe.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/psychopathe. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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