urètre

Forms

urètre m (plural urètres)^[1] First written urèthre (1667); urètre is found from 1687.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin urethra, a medical word, from Ancient Greek οὐρήθρα (ourḗthra) with the same meaning.^[2][4][3][1] The Greek noun is from οὐρέω (ouréō, “to urinate”), from οὖρον (oûron, “urine”).^[4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1667, as urèthre, in the Journal des savants, for the urethra.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The spelling without ⟨h⟩ appears in 1687, in D. Duncan's work on mineral chemistry, and the Académie used it in 1694.^[2][5] The derivative urétral dates from 1796.^[4] English took urethra straight from Late Latin in the 1630s;^[6] Etymonline says the Greek word was coined by Hippocrates.^[6]

Timeline

• 1667 – Urèthre appears in the Journal des savants.^[2][3]
• 1687 – The spelling urètre is found.^[2]
• 1694 – The Académie records urètre.^[5]
• 1796 – Urétral is first recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (anatomy) The urethra: the duct carrying urine from the bladder to the outside, which in men also carries sperm.^[7][8][5]

Word family

• urétral
• urétrite

Related words

• urine
• uretère

Usage notes

The word has a grave accent, but its derivatives an acute one: urétral, urétrite.^[8] It should not be confused with uretère, the ureter.^[8]

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)