Etymologically
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classe

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Pronunciation

Forms

classe f (plural classes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin classis (“division of the Roman people; group; levy of troops; fleet”),[2][3][4] first in the 14th century.[2][5] Rey says the Latin word probably meant “a call”, then the divisions of citizens liable to be called to arms and the force so raised, and then, once exercitus had taken the sense “land army”, a fleet.[5] The ancients connected it with calō (“to call”), but the development is hard to explain and it may be a technical loan from Etruscan.[5] Littré followed the old explanation.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Pierre Bersuire's translation of Livy (14th century), of the five classes into which Servius Tullius divided the Roman people by their wealth.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Bloch and Wartburg note that the other senses developed in French.[3] In schools it named a body of pupils doing the same studies (1549), then the lesson (1611) and the classroom (1680).[2][5] A second borrowing gave “fleet” (1559), which did not last but led to “naval levy” (1673) and, with the conscription of the Revolution, to the year's contingent called up for military service (1798); in army slang faire ses classes (1900) is “to do one's basic training”, and la classe meant discharge (1888).[2][5]

The general sense “category of things or people sharing features” dates from 1690 and became a term of natural history with Tournefort's botany (1694).[2][5] The social sense, a group of people of the same condition, appears with Quesnay in 1758 and was used by Robespierre in 1788;[2][7] classe ouvrière is recorded in 1797 and the lutte des classes became a socialist term in the 19th century.[5] The sense “rank, grade” (de première classe) dates from 1680, and avoir de la classe “to have quality, distinction” spread from horse breeders (1916) to general use (1937).[2][5]

Timeline

  • 14th century – Bersuire's Roman classes.[2]
  • 1549 – A body of pupils.[2]
  • 1559 – “Fleet”, a short-lived sense.[2]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records the sense “lesson”.[2]
  • 1680 – “Classroom”, and “rank” (auteurs de première classe), in Richelet.[2]
  • 1694 – Tournefort's classes of plants.[2]
  • 1758 – Quesnay's social classes.[2]
  • 1798 – The year's contingent of conscripts.[2]
  • 1916 – Avoir de la classe among breeders.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A social class: people of similar condition and interests: classe moyenne, classe ouvrière, lutte des classes.[8][9]
  2. A category or group of things or beings with features in common; in biology, a taxonomic rank between phylum and order.[9][2]
  3. A rank or grade by quality or comfort: billet de première classe.[9][8]
  4. (familiar) Distinction, elegance: avoir de la classe.[2][9]
  5. A school class: the pupils taught together; the year of study; a lesson; a classroom.[9][2]
  6. (military) The conscripts of one year.[2] Faire ses classes: to do basic training.[2][1]
  7. (programming) A class in object-oriented programming.[1]

Word family

  • classement
  • classer
  • classeur
  • classification
  • classisme
  • classiste
  • sous-classe
  • superclasse

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 v 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 745b
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)