athlétique

Forms

athlétique (plural athlétiques)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin āthlēticus (1534),^[2][3][4] which is from Ancient Greek ἀθλητικός (athlētikós),^[2][3][1] from ἀθλητής (athlētḗs, “athlete”) with the adjective suffix -ικός (-ikós).^[1][5] Picoche places it in the learned family of ἆθλος (âthlos, “contest in the games”), with athlète and athlétisme.^[6] The feminine noun, the art of athletes (18th century), is from Latin athlētica according to the Académie.^[7][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rabelais is the first to use it, in 1534,^[4] in the sense “relating to athletes”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It first referred to athletes, those of antiquity and later modern ones.^[2] By extension it came to mean “strong and muscular”, recorded by the TLFi in Nodier in 1818, though embonpoint athlétique is already found in the 18th century.^[2] The ancient athletes' technique was called l'athlétique as a feminine noun from 1752;^[2] the later athlétisme (1855) took over that sense and then became the name of modern track and field.^[2] In psychology, after Kretschmer, type athlétique names a body type with heavy bones and strong muscles.^[8][2]

Timeline

• 1534 – Rabelais uses athletique.^[4][2]
• 1599 – The adverb athlétiquement is recorded.^[2][9]
• 1752 – The feminine noun athlétique, the art of athletes.^[2]
• 1818 – Nodier uses it for “strong and muscular”.^[2]
• 1855 – The derivative athlétisme takes over the sense of the noun.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Relating to athletes or athletics: des épreuves athlétiques.^[9][4][7]
2. Strong and muscular, athletic: une carrure athlétique.^[9][4][1]
3. (psychology) Type athlétique: a body type with a strong frame and muscles, in Kretschmer's typology.^[8]

Noun

1. (feminine, dated) The art of the athletes of antiquity.^[7][5][8]

Word family

• athlétiquement

Related words

• athlète
• athlétisme
• pentathlon
• Latin āthlēticus
• Ancient Greek ἀθλητής (athlētḗs)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
7. ^ a b c Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
8. ^ a b c 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
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert