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urologie

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Etymology and origin of the French word urologie

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1851 Journal de médecine et de chirurgie pratiques More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek οὖρον,λόγος

Pronunciation

  • /y.ʁɔ.lɔ.ʒi/[1]

Forms

urologie f (uncountable)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French uro- + -logie, from the combining form uro- “urine” and -logie “study”.[2][3][1] Littré traces the parts to Ancient Greek οὖρον (oûron, “urine”) and λόγος (lógos, “study”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1851 in the Journal de médecine et de chirurgie pratiques.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Littré still defines it as the study of urine, in health and in disease.[4] It has since become the medical and surgical speciality of the urinary tract in both sexes and of the genital organs of men.[2][5][6] Rey notes that it and urologue (1860) became usual words in hospital medicine.[7] The adjective urologique is first recorded in 1913.[2]

Timeline

  • 1851 – First recorded in a medical journal.[2][5]
  • 1860 – urologue appears.[7]
  • 1913 – The adjective urologique is first recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (medicine) urology, the branch of medicine and surgery that treats the urinary tract and, by extension, the genito-urinary diseases of men.[6][2][5]

Word family

  • urologique
  • urologue

References

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

“Urologie.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/urologie. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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