radiothérapie

Forms

radiothérapie f (plural radiothérapies)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French radio- + thérapie.^[2][1][3][4] The element radio- first meant “radiation, radiant energy”^[2] and is from Latin radius (“ray”);^[1] thérapie is from Ancient Greek θεραπεία (therapeía, “treatment, care of the body”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1901, in Garnier and Delamare's dictionary of medical terms, for the treatment of disease by radiation.^[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

From the start the word covered every therapeutic use of ionizing radiation, X-rays and gamma rays alike; in everyday use, from the 1950s, it came to mean treatment with X-rays,^[5][2] and medical usage restricted it to X-rays as against curiethérapie, treatment with radium.^[2] It became as common a word as chimiothérapie, although its short form radio can be confused with other words.^[5]

Its derivatives radiothérapique (1904) and radiothérapeute (1905) followed within a few years.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1901 – First recorded in Garnier and Delamare's medical dictionary.^[2][3][4]
• 1904 – The Larousse records it.^[6][7]
• 1904 – Radiothérapique is first recorded.^[2]
• 1905 – Radiothérapeute appears.^[5]
• 1963 – The Larousse records radiothérapie de contact.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (medicine) radiotherapy, the treatment of disease with ionizing radiation.^[2][4]
2. (common) Treatment with X-rays;^[4][6] radiothérapie de contact, applied to surface lesions.^[4][6]

Word family

• radiothérapique
• radiothérapeute

Related words

• chimiothérapie
• curiethérapie
• radiographie

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF