vétérinaire

Forms

vétérinaire (plural vétérinaires)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin veterīnārius (“relating to beasts of burden, veterinary”), which as a noun meant a veterinary physician.^[2][3][4][1] The Latin adjective is formed on veterīna (“beasts of burden or draught”), a neuter plural used as a noun, from veterīnus (“fit for carrying loads”).^[3][4][5] Rey thinks this adjective may come from vetus (“old”), old animals unfit for racing or war being used for carrying.^[3] Littré instead derived it from vehō (“to carry”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1563 as an adjective, in maladies veterinaires and medecin veterinaire, in Du Poy Monclar's translation of Vegetius's treatise on the medicine of horses.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The noun, for a person who treats animals, is found from 1571.^[2][3] At first it concerned farm and working animals; it came to cover all animals that people keep, tame or show.^[3][8] The adjective entered phrases such as art vétérinaire (1563), école vétérinaire (1761, when the school at Lyon was founded) and médecine vétérinaire (1798).^[3][2] The feminine noun vétérinaire was used in 1765 for the art of treating horses.^[3] The noun is often shortened in familiar speech to véto.^[3][8]

Timeline

• 1563 – First recorded as an adjective in Du Poy Monclar's translation of Vegetius.^[2]
• 1571 – First used as a noun, by J. Le Bon.^[2]
• 1761 – The first école vétérinaire is founded at Lyon.^[2][3]
• 1765 – The feminine noun names the art of treating horses.^[3]
• 1798 – The Académie records médecine vétérinaire.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Veterinary, relating to the care and medicine of animals: médecine vétérinaire, art vétérinaire, clinique vétérinaire.^[8][9][2]

Noun

1. A veterinarian or vet, a specialist in animal medicine; also médecin vétérinaire.^[8][9][1]

Word family

• véto

Related words

• vieux
• Latin veterīnārius

Usage notes

The familiar short form is véto (un or une véto).^[8][3] The word is pronounced like veto.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
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 Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)