Etymologically
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attaque

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 13:56. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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]

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