approche

Forms

approche f (plural approches)^[1]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from French approcher.^[2][3][4][5] The verb is Old French aprochier (1080), from Late Latin appropiō, a church writers' derivative of prope (“near”).^[6][5] The Latin ⟨pi⟩ gave ⟨ch⟩, as in proche.^[6]

Cognate with Occitan aproche, Spanish aproches, Portuguese aproxes and Italian approccio.^[7] English approach is of the same origin.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears about 1450 in the military phrase faire approche, and in 1465 les approches are the works by which besiegers draw near a fortress.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The sense one might expect first, “the act of coming near”, is found a little later (1530), and in the 15th century the word also meant a fight.^[6] The sense “drawing near (to someone)” is typical of classical French; the lunette d'approche “telescope” (1530) is still a common phrase.^[6] Amyot and d'Aubigné use approches of an army closing on a city, and figuratively of a flatterer who fait ses approches petit à petit.^[7]

Technical senses appeared in the 18th and 19th centuries,^[6] among them the final phase of an aircraft's flight before landing.^[4][8] In the mid-20th century English approach gave it the much-used and criticized sense “way of tackling a subject”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 1450 – Faire approche, a military phrase.^[2][6]
• 1465 – Les approches of a fortress.^[6]
• 1530 – “Act of coming near”, and lunette d'approche.^[6]
• Mid-20th century – The sense “way of tackling a subject”, after English.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. The act of coming near someone or something, an approach: à l'approche de, à mon approche.^[4][8]
2. The nearness of a time or event: à l'approche de l'hiver.^[8][3]
3. The way a person receives those who come to them; abord: d'approche facile.^[4][8][3]
4. A way of tackling a subject or problem: une approche historique de la question.^[8][6]
5. (aviation) The phase of flight in which an aircraft nears the runway before landing.^[4][8]
6. (military, dated, plural) The works by which besiegers draw near a fortress;^[4][3] (figurative) travaux d'approche, the steps taken to win someone over or reach a goal.^[4][3]
7. Lunette d'approche: a telescope.^[6]
8. Of animals: mating.^[3]

Related words

• approcher
• rapprocher
• proche
• prochain
• Latin prope
• English approach

References

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