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vertébral

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Etymology and origin of the French word vertébral

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1674 Journal des savants More words from the 17th century
Ultimate origin
Latin vertō

Pronunciation

  • /vɛʁ.te.bʁal/[1]

Forms

vertébral (feminine vertébrale, masculine plural vertébraux, feminine plural vertébrales)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French vertèbre + -al.[2][3][4][5][6] Wiktionary takes it instead as a learned borrowing from Latin vertebrālis.[1] The base noun (1534) is a borrowing from vertebra, from vertō (“to turn”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1674 in the Journal des savants, meaning “relating to the vertebrae”.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The word stayed a term of anatomy and entered many set phrases: artère vertébrale (1771), nerf vertébral and above all colonne vertébrale, first found in Diderot (1784).[5][2][7] It also served to form intervertébral (1765) and sacro-vertébral (1836).[5] Figuratively it can mean “serving as a support”.[2]

Timeline

  • 1534 – Vertèbre is recorded.[3]
  • 1674 – Vertébral appears in the Journal des savants.[2][7]
  • 1765 – Intervertébral is formed from it.[5]
  • 1771 – Artère vertébrale is recorded.[7][5]
  • 1784 – Diderot uses colonne vertébrale.[2]
  • 1872 – Littré records canal vertébral and nerf vertébral.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (anatomy) vertebral: relating to the vertebrae or formed by them, as in colonne vertébrale “spine”: une douleur vertébrale.[2][8][9]
  2. (figurative) Serving as a support or backbone.[2]

Word family

  • intervertébral

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 317b
  7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Vertébral.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/vert%C3%A9bral. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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