actualité

Forms

actualité f (plural actualités)^[1] Old French actuauté (1253), a semi-learned form.^[2][3]

Etymology

In its modern senses it is a derivative from French actuel, formed at the start of the 19th century from the adjective's temporal sense.^[2][3][4][5] The adjective is from Late Latin actuālis (“active”), a word of Scholastic Latin.^[4][6]

The word had two short medieval lives.^[2] The semi-learned actuauté (1253) was formed on the stem of the same Latin word in the sense “that puts into practice”,^[2][3] and actualité in medieval philosophy (13th century) was borrowed from Medieval Latin actualitas (“active force”), a word of Albertus Magnus.^[2][3][7] These senses died out; the philosophical one was taken up again in the 19th century.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1253 Pierre de Fontaine uses actuauté for the state of what has been carried out or put into effect.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 13th century actualité was a term of Scholastic philosophy, “an entity” or “a fully realized, active force”; the TLFi knows only isolated records of these senses.^[2][3] The word was revived at the start of the 19th century for the state of what is present and contemporary (Boiste, 1823),^[2][5][4][3] and Littré still called it a neologism.^[8]

From this came être d'actualité and, in the plural, the news of the day (1845), first in the press and then, from 1923, in the cinema, as newsreels.^[3] The collective sense, the whole of recent events of interest, appears in the TLFi's examples from 1887.^[2] The clipped form actu is familiar.^[9]

Timeline

• 1253 – Pierre de Fontaine uses actuauté.^[2]
• 13th century – Actualité appears as a term of philosophy.^[2][3]
• 1823 – Boiste records the modern sense, the quality of being present.^[5][4][3]
• 1845 – The plural is used for the news of the day.^[3]
• 1887 – Villiers de l'Isle-Adam writes of l'actualité politique du jour.^[2]
• 1923 – Actualités are shown in cinemas.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (philosophy) The character of what is actual, in act rather than in potential.^[9]
2. The quality of what belongs to or suits the present time; topicality: l'actualité d'un problème;^[9][2][10] être d'actualité, to be topical: ce débat n'est plus d'actualité.^[9][2][10]
3. The whole of current events, in general or in one field: l'actualité politique, l'actualité sportive.^[9][2][10]
4. (in the plural) The news of the moment in the press, on radio or television, formerly the newsreels in cinemas: les actualités télévisées.^[9][3]
5. The current projects and achievements of a person or an organization: l'actualité d'une chanteuse.^[10]

Word family

• actu

Related words

• actuel
• actuellement
• actualiser
• acte
• Late Latin actuālis

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)