chronologie

Forms

chronologie f (plural chronologies)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin chronologia, recorded in 1532 in a title by L. Biragus,^[2] a word made up in 16th-century Latin of the elements chrono- and -logia.^[3] The Grand Robert, the GLLF and Littré give its source as Ancient Greek χρονολογία (khronología), from χρόνος (khrónos, “time”) and λόγος (lógos, “word, discourse”).^[4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1579, in Blaise de Vigenère's translation of Livy, for history written in the order of the events.^[2][5][3]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, history written in chronological order, went out of use in the 18th century;^[2][3] Miège still has it in 1677.^[2][3] It gave way to the specialized sense of the auxiliary science of history that fixes the dates of events, recorded by Richelet in 1680.^[2][3] By extension the word came to mean simply the dates and order of events (1803, Chateaubriand), and, by metonymy, a set of activities to be carried out within a given span of time (1820, Michelet).^[2][3] In spaceflight it names the sequence of operations before and after a rocket launch, from the mid-20th century.^[5][7]

Timeline

• 1532 – Latin chronologia appears in a title by L. Biragus.^[2]
• 1579 – First French record, in Vigenère's Livy, as “history in chronological order”.^[2][5]
• 1680 – Richelet records the sense “science of historical dates”.^[2][5]
• 1803 – Chateaubriand uses it for the order and dates of events.^[2]
• 1820 – Michelet uses it figuratively.^[2][3]
• Mid-20th century – The spaceflight sense appears.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The science of fixing the dates of historical events, an auxiliary science of history.^[8][2][7]
2. The order and dates of events, their succession in time: la chronologie d'un procès.^[8][2][7]
3. A table or work listing important dates in order, a chronology.^[8][9]
4. (spaceflight) The timed sequence of operations before and after a launch.^[5][7]

Word family

• chronologique

Related words

• chronique
• English chronology

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)