Etymologically
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santé

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɑ̃.te/[1]

Forms

santé f (plural santés)[1] Sanitad (about 980), santet (about 1050), santé (about 1145, Wace).[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French santé, inherited from Latin sānitās (“health of body and mind”) (accusative sānitātem), from sānus (“healthy”), the source of sain.[2][3][4][5][1] The Latin word had also been taken over in a learned form, sanitad (about 980), later saniteit and sanité, the last still found in some dictionaries in the 19th century.[3]

Cognate with Occitan sanitat, Spanish sanidad and Italian sanità.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Clermont Passion (late 10th century) has sanitad for the good physical state of a living being; the Vie de saint Alexis has sanctet (about 1050) and Wace santé (about 1145).[2]

Semantic evolution

The sense widened to the more or less good working of the body: en bonne santé (about 1274, Adenet le Roi), mauvaise santé and petite santé (1636, Monet), santé de fer (early 18th century).[2][3] From about 1215 it was also the balance of the soul and mind (santé de l'âme, Montaigne, santé mentale, 1946), and, from 1588 the sound state of a thing, such as a state or its finances.[2][3]

Drinking to someone's health gave à vos santés (1628), boire à la santé de quelqu'un (1636), santé “a toast” (1629) and the interjection santé ! (1781).[2] Familiar French has en avoir une santé “to have a nerve” (1894, Courteline).[2][7] Public health gave officier de santé and, in 1871, corps de santé.[2]

Timeline

  • Late 10th century – Sanitad, Clermont Passion.[2]
  • c. 1145 – Santé, Wace.[2]
  • c. 1274 – En bonne santé, Adenet le Roi.[2]
  • 1588 – The good state of a thing (la santé d'un estat), Montaigne.[2]
  • 1636 – Boire à la santé de quelqu'un and petite santé, Monet.[2][3]
  • 1781 – The interjection santé !.[2]
  • 1894 – En avoir une santé “to have a nerve”, Courteline.[2][7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. health, the good working of the body: être en bonne santé, respirer la santé.[8][1]
  2. The state of the body, good or bad: une santé fragile, comment va la santé ?.[8][9]
  3. Mental or moral balance: santé mentale, santé de l'esprit.[2]
  4. Public health and the services that care for it: ministère de la Santé, santé publique.[8][9]
  5. The sound state of a thing: la santé de l'économie.[2][8]
  6. Boire à la santé de quelqu'un: to drink someone's health.[2][8]

Interjection

  1. Santé !, à votre santé !: cheers![1][8]

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 k l m n o p q r 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 184b
  6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse