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femoralis

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word femoralis

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
345–412 Rufinus More words from the 4th century
Ultimate origin
Latin femur
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin femur
English femur
Latin femorālis
English femoral

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [fɛ.mɔˈraː.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [fe.moˈraː.lis][1]

Forms

femorālis (neuter femorāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin femur (“thigh”) + -ālis.[2][3][4] The TLL compares feminālis.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first dated use is in Rufinus (c. 345–411/412 AD), who has the neuter noun for a band wrapped round the legs, in his Latin version of Origen on Leviticus;[5][4] the Old Latin Bible uses it in Exodus 28:42.[5]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it means “of the thigh”: a letter ascribed to Jerome speaks of ille gladius femorālis, quō lēvītae … proximōs occīdērunt, “that sword at the thigh with which the Levites killed their neighbours”.[2][5] The Vulgate uses the neuter plural femorālia for breeches, the same as feminālia.[3]

In medieval Latin the adjective describes what covers or supports the leg,[6][7] and once means “born of one's loins, natural”.[6] The neuter, usually plural, is the ordinary word for breeches or drawers,[6][7] which British sources mention as forbidden to monks, as an undergarment and, made of hair, as a penitential garment.[7] English took femoral from the medieval Latin adjective.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 345–411/412 AD – Rufinus uses the neuter for a band round the legs.[5][4]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate has the neuter plural for breeches (Sirach 45:10).[3][4]
  • before 6th century AD – A letter ascribed to Jerome speaks of a sword worn at the thigh.[2][4]
  • c. 1035 – Wolfhere uses it of a support for a lame leg.[6][4]
  • 1782 – Borrowed into English as femoral.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or for the thigh.[2][5][6]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Covering or supporting the legs.[6][7]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Born of one's loins, natural.[6]

Noun

  1. (neuter) A band wrapped round the legs.[5]
  2. (neuter, usually plural) breeches, drawers.[3][6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  7. ^ a b c d e Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Femoralis.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/femoralis. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·