central

Forms

central (feminine centrale, masculine plural centraux, feminine plural centrales)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin centrālis (“placed in the centre”),^[2][3][4] itself from centrum (“centre”).^[5][6]

Littré compares Occitan central, Spanish central and Italian centrale.^[6] The noun “telephone exchange” (1883) is the adjective used as a noun.^[5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nicole Oresme's Livre du ciel et du monde (1377) uses it of what lies at the centre of a circle or sphere.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word was first geometric and spread to what is in the middle of any area, as in geography (terres centrales, before 1820).^[2][3] The Académie records force centrale in mechanics in 1718.^[2] From 1787 it took the abstract senses of centre, and during the Revolution it became a political word tied to centraliser: pouvoir central is found before 1793.^[2][3]

École centrale first named the schools set up by the Convention in 1795 and replaced by the lycées in 1802, then the École centrale des arts et manufactures (1853), whose students were called centraux.^[2][3] Maison centrale (1827) is a prison, whence slang central “prisoner” (1878).^[2][3] As a noun the masculine named a telephone exchange (1883, central téléphonique, 1928), and the feminine centrale a power station (1927) and a trade-union confederation (1956).^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1377 – Oresme uses central of the centre of a circle or sphere.^[2]
• 1718 – The Académie records force centrale in mechanics.^[2]
• Before 1793 – Barnave writes pouvoir central.^[2]
• 1812 – First record of école centrale.^[2]
• 1827 – Maison centrale “prison” in Vidocq.^[2]
• 1878 – Slang central “inmate of a maison centrale”.^[2]
• 1879 – Central “student of the École centrale”.^[2]
• 1883 – The noun “telephone exchange”.^[2][5]
• 1927 – Centrale électrique “power station”.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. At the centre, or relating to the centre: la partie centrale, l'Europe centrale.^[7][8]
2. Of a district: near the town centre.^[8][7]
3. (figurative) Essential, principal: le personnage central de la pièce.^[7]
4. Serving as the point where everything converges, the directing organ: pouvoir central, chauffage central.^[7][8]
5. Maison centrale, prison centrale: a prison for long sentences.^[7][8]

Noun

1. A telephone exchange;^[5][2] central téléphonique.^[5][2]
2. (tennis) The centre court of a stadium.^[7][3]
3. (dated, familiar) A student of the École centrale.^[2][3]

Word family

• centraliser
• centralement

Related words

• centre
• centrale
• Latin centrālis

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse