attaque

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a.tak/^[1]

Forms

attaque f (plural attaques)^[1]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from French attaquer.^[2][3][4][1] The verb (1540) is a military borrowing of Italian attaccare (“to attack; to join”), used in phrases such as “attaccare battaglia” “to join battle” and “attaccare la scaramuccia”, which Rabelais borrowed as attaquer l'escarmouche (1549).^[5][6][7] Rey finds the Italian verb as obscure as attacher, whose Picard variant had taken on the sense of the Italianism.^[5] It is usually traced to Germanic, through a word for a notch or for a stake, but Rey finds neither explanation satisfactory;^[5][6] Guiraud derived the Italian and French verbs from a Vulgar Latin derivative of Latin attingō (“to touch, reach”).^[5][6]

English attack comes from the French verb.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in 1596 in the sense of a violent criticism, a verbal attack; the military sense is recorded by Cotgrave in 1611, though it must be older.^[5][2][4]

Semantic evolution

It has special uses in fencing (1751) and sports (1901), where it also names the attacking players, and in the vocabulary of crime (attaque à main armée).^[5][4] From the idea of beginning came uses in music, the attack of a note, and in technology, as in bord d'attaque of an aircraft wing.^[5] Figuratively it is the sudden onset of an illness (1669), as in attaque cérébrale, a stroke.^[5][1] Être d'attaque “to be in good form” (late 19th century) meant first “to be ready to tackle a job”.^[5]

Timeline

• 1540 – The verb attaquer.^[5]
• 1596 – Attaque “violent criticism”.^[5][2]
• 1611 – A military attack, in Cotgrave.^[5][4]
• 1669 – The onset of an illness.^[5]
• 1751 – In fencing.^[5]
• 1901 – In sports.^[5]
• late 19th century – Être d'attaque.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. An attack, assault: passer à l'attaque, attaque aérienne, attaque à main armée, armed robbery.^[3][4][1]
2. (fencing, sports) An attacking move; the attacking players, the forwards.^[3][5]
3. A verbal attack, a sharp criticism.^[5][4]
4. A sudden fit, onset (of an illness): attaque cérébrale, a stroke.^[5][1]
5. (music) The attack of a note, (phonology) the onset of a syllable.^[5][1]
6. (familiar) Être d'attaque: to be in good form.^[5][1]

Related words

• attaquer
• inattaquable
• Italian attaccare
• English attack

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com