allusion

Forms

allusion f (plural allusions)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin allūsiō (“play, word play”), derived from the supine of allūdō (“to play, jest”), from ad- and lūdus (“play”).^[2][3][4][1] Arnobius used the Latin noun for play, and Cassiodorus already used it as a rhetorical term.^[4] The Latin verb and noun passed from jesting and making fun to speaking lightly, without insisting, and so to suggesting without saying outright.^[2] Cognate with Italian allusione and Spanish alusión.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word first appears in Bonaventure des Périers (1558) for a playful pun, a play on the form of a word.^[2][3][6] The TLFi and Bloch and Wartburg date this sense from M. Foucque's verse Life of Christ (1574).^[4][7]

Semantic evolution

From 1593 it also meant an expression that calls up an idea without naming it clearly.^[2] The modern sense, an indirect reference or innuendo, dates from the middle of the 17th century: Il fait allusion à cette fable is in Pomey's dictionary (1671).^[4][2] Bloch and Wartburg date the modern sense from Furetière (1690).^[7][8] The adjective allusif is first found in a 1624 translation of Bacon but seems unused before 1770.^[2][7] The verb alluder (about 1500) remained a rare Latinism.^[2]

Timeline

• 1558 – Bonaventure des Périers uses it for a pun.^[3][2][6]
• 1574 – M. Foucque uses it as a rhetorical term for word play.^[4][7]
• 1593 – It is used for an expression that suggests without naming.^[2]
• 1624 – Allusif appears in a translation of Bacon.^[2]
• 1671 – Pomey records faire allusion à.^[4]
• 1690 – Furetière records the modern sense.^[7][8]

Meanings

Noun

1. An allusion: a word or remark that calls a person or thing to mind without naming it: une allusion transparente.^[9][8]
2. Faire allusion à: to allude to, to refer indirectly to: il a fait allusion à son départ.^[9][8]
3. (rhetoric) A figure of speech that suggests something not stated explicitly.^[4][5]
4. (obsolete) A play on words.^[2][5]

Word family

• allusif
• allusivement

Related words

• ludique
• Latin allūsiō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
7. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert