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urinaire

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Etymology and origin of the French word urinaire

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1556 More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origin
Latin ūrīna
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French urine
Romanian urină
French urinaire
From the same root
French urée ← urine

Forms

urinaire (plural urinaires)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French urine + -aire.[2][3][1] The noun is a reshaping after Latin ūrīna of the older orine.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and Bloch and Wartburg date it from 1556;[5][6][4] the TLFi's first record is from Ambroise Paré in 1564, vaisseaux urinaires, the vessels through which stones descend into the bladder.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The adjective is a learned word, but it is current in physiology and medicine.[8] Set phrases such as voies urinaires, méat urinaire, calculs urinaires and fistule urinaire are recorded by Littré.[9][7] Littré also gave a feminine noun urinaire, the pissenlit or dandelion.[7]

Timeline

  • 1556 – First record.[5][4]
  • 1564 – Paré writes of vaisseaux urinaires.[2][7]
  • 1872 – Littré records voies urinaires, méat urinaire and fistule urinaire.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to urine, its production or its excretion: appareil urinaire “urinary system”, voies urinaires “urinary tract”.[6][2]
  2. Méat urinaire: the external opening of the urethra.[9][7]

Word family

  • génito-urinaire

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Urinaire.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/urinaire. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·