approchable

Forms

approchable (plural approchables)^[1] Middle French aproichable (about 1386),^[2][3] aprochable.^[4]

Etymology

It is formed from French approcher + -able.^[1][2][3] The verb is from Late Latin appropiō, from prope (“near”).^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Grand Robert dates the form aproichable to about 1386.^[2] In Le Ver's Latin dictionary (about 1420–1440) approchables glosses Latin accessibilis, “that can be approached, accessible”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Bloch and Wartburg and the DHLF date the adjective to the 15th century, the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert the modern form to 1508.^[5][7][2][8] Bescherelle in 1845 still used it of a person or a thing that can be reached.^[9] It now refers above all to people and is used almost only with a negative, il n'est pas approchable, matching the prefixed antonym inapprochable.^[7][10][9] The TLFi calls it little used.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 1386 – Aproichable is recorded.^[2][3]
• c. 1420–1440 – Le Ver's dictionary glosses Latin accessibilis with it.^[4]
• 1508 – First record of the form approchable.^[2][8]
• 1873 – Littré gives Cet homme n'est pas approchable.^[11][9]
• 1911 – Inapprochable is used by Proust.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That can be approached, abordable, accessible, said mostly of a person and usually with a negative: ce matin, le chef n'est pas approchable.^{[8][12][13][3]}

Word family

• inapprochable

Related words

• approcher
• approche
• abordable
• accessible

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
4. ^ a b c Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 54b
7. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d 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
10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
11. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
12. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
13. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)