clarification

Forms

clarification f (plural clarifications)^[1] Middle French clerificacion, clarificacion.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French clarifier + -ation, as the noun of action of the verb.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} Bloch and Wartburg see the influence of Latin clārificō in its shape, and note that clārificātiō, which in Church Latin meant “glorification”, was borrowed separately in that sense about 1495.^[8] The verb, taken from Church Latin in the 12th century in the sense “to glorify”, developed its modern senses after clair.^[8]

Littré compares Old Occitan clarificacio and Italian chiarificazione.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Registre criminel du Châtelet (1389–1392) has clerificacions for explanations given about a statement.^[2] The TLFi's first record is clarificacion de nostre vouloir (1474), the explaining of “our will”.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

The abstract sense came first: in the 15th century Estienne de La Roche's Arismetique speaks of clarification et alegement of a method.^[9] The concrete, technical sense, the clearing of a liquid, is recorded by Furetière in 1690 (clarification d'un sirop).^[3][4][10]

English clarification (1610s) first meant the clearing of liquids and comes from the French word.^[11]

Timeline

• 1389–1392 – Clerificacions in the Registre criminel du Châtelet.^[2]
• 1474 – Clarificacion de nostre vouloir.^[3][4]
• c. 1400 – The date Bloch and Wartburg and the Petit Robert give.^[8][12]
• 1610s – English clarification is borrowed.^[11]
• 1690 – Furetière records the clearing of a syrup.^[3][10]

Meanings

Noun

1. The clearing of a liquid by removing the particles in it, by décantation, filtering or boiling: Le vigneron procède à la clarification du vin blanc.^[12][3][13]
2. (cooking) The melting of butter in a bain-marie so that it can be decanted.^[13]
3. (figurative) The making of something clear and understandable, an éclaircissement: Le ministre a promis une clarification de sa position.^[12][13][14]

Related words

• clarifier
• clair
• Latin clārificātiō
• English clarification

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
3. ^ a b c d e f g 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
4. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 744a
8. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
13. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
14. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)