acclamation

Forms

acclamation f (plural acclamations)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin acclāmātiō (“collective shout”),^[2][3][4][1] from acclāmō (“to shout at someone”),^[4][5] formed with ad- on clāmō (“to cry out”).^[3] The Latin noun was used for shouts of blame as well as praise, and Medieval Latin legal usage applied it to shouts of approval ratifying an election, the source of the legal sense in French.^[2][3] The verb acclamer was borrowed in 1509.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Lemaire de Belges uses it in 1504 for a crowd's shout of welcome: par commune acclamacion d'une voix unanime everyone cried long live the duke of Bourbon.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

French kept only the sense of praise.^[3] In 1690 Furetière records the election of magistrates and bishops by public acclamations, and the Académie in 1740 records élire par acclamation, of an election in which all the votes come together at once, without a ballot.^[2][3][5] Amyot uses the plural in the 16th century for cries of praise addressed to a speaker.^[6]

Timeline

• 1504 – Jean Lemaire de Belges uses acclamacion.^[2][4][7]
• 1509 – The verb acclamer is borrowed.^[3]
• 1690 – Furetière records its legal use in elections.^[2]
• 1740 – The Académie records élire par acclamation.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A collective cry of enthusiasm greeting someone or approving something, usually in the plural: la chanteuse fut accueillie par des acclamations.^[5][7][2]
2. Par acclamation: unanimously and with enthusiasm, without a ballot: être élu par acclamation.^[5][7][6]

Related words

• acclamer
• acclamateur
• clamer
• exclamation
• Latin acclāmātiō

Usage notes

In par acclamation the noun is written without ⟨s⟩.^[7]

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 d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse