In the new show from Europe 1, "Historically yours", Stéphane Bern examines the roots of an expression of everyday life. Friday, the host returns in "The word of the end" on the origins of the word "stepmother".

Why do we say stepmother? Son-in-law? Beautiful girl ? And why has this term gradually replaced that of "stepmother", often used until then? In the program  Historically yours  with Matthieu Noël, Stéphane Bern examines the roots of these words, from Latin to Goth.

“Today, I would like to bring up a subject that may be painful for you, but I am going: I wanted to talk about stepmothers. Why do we say 'stepmother'? 'Stepson'? 'Stepdaughter '? Among our Anglo-Saxon friends, for example, we speak of' mother in law ', which means' mother in the name of the law', the step mother becoming the maternal figure 'under the law' in the event of remarriage civil.

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In antiquity, the mother-in-law was called the 'stepmother', a term much less pejorative than today. From the Latin matrastra, this name will have more and more bad press, as evidenced by the description given by the 17th century poet Antoine Furetière: "Stepmother, wife of a second bed who mistreats the children of a first, to benefit his."

Ah my beautiful son

Stepmother for stepmother, stepfather and godfather for stepfather and stepdaughter, then the suffix -âtre will gradually disappear in favor of the prefix step-. But beware, a 'beautiful' which designates affection rather than aesthetics. The 'beautiful' was the equivalent of 'dear', as when we say today 'dear sir' or 'dear friend'.

Already in the 13th century, when Saint-Louis addressed his son, he said my "biau fils". In the 14th century, the terms 'good father' and 'good mother' were easily used to designate parents. It is funny to note that 'the daughter-in-law' is an expression still used today and yet it is a word coming from the 3rd century, invented by the Goths, just like 'son-in-law' which is still used and which comes from Latin. gignere which means to beget. 

Let's leave with a smile with this kind word from Pierre Doris: 'At the last New Year's Eve, I offered a chair to my mother-in-law, to the next ones, I will have her electrified'. "