viscéral

Forms

viscéral (feminine viscérale, masculine plural viscéraux, feminine plural viscérales)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin viscerālis (“very dear, intimate, deep”),^[2][3][4][1] from Latin viscus (“internal organ”), plural viscera (“entrails”).^[2][4][5] The Late Latin word is from the 4th century.^[3] The anatomical sense, “relating to the viscera”, was formed afresh in the 18th century from French viscère + -al.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

George Chastellain's Chroniques (about 1470) speak of the viscerale et intime douleur (“deep, inward grief”).^[2][5] The Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and the GLLF date this first use to 1460.^[6][7][4]

Semantic evolution

The sense “deep, intimate” was rare after the 17th century (Crespin's dictionary, 1637) and was taken up again only in the 19th or 20th century.^[2][3][4]

In 1752 remède viscéral named a remedy meant to strengthen the viscera, a use found until the mid-19th century.^[2][3] From 1798 the adjective qualified what concerns the viscera,^[3][4] and the same year the Académie recorded it as a legal term for “essential”, as in the conditions of a contract.^[2][3][5] Phrases such as peur viscérale, an irrational, deep-seated fear, belong to the 20th century.^[3][7]

Timeline

• c. 1470 – George Chastellain's Chroniques use it for “deep, intimate”.^[2][5]
• 1637 – Crespin's Thresor des trois langues is the last record of that sense for two centuries.^[2][4]
• 1752 – Remède viscéral appears in the Dictionnaire de Trévoux.^[2]
• 1798 – The Académie records it in law, and in the sense “relating to the viscera”.^[2][4][3]
• 1805 – Cuvier writes of nerfs viscéraux.^[2]
• 1845 – Bescherelle has the sense “deep, intimate” again.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (anatomy) Relating to the viscera, splanchnic: feuillet viscéral du péritoine.^[7][2][5]
2. Deep, unreasoning, instinctive: une haine viscérale, une peur viscérale.^[7][3]
3. (law, dated) Essential: les conditions viscérales d'un contrat.^[5][3]

Word family

• viscéralement

Related words

• viscère
• Latin viscus

References

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