compétence

Forms

compétence f (plural compétences)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin competentia (“proportion, due relation”),^[2][3][1] from competēns, the present participle of competō (“to suit, agree with”).^[4][5][6] The sense in linguistics was borrowed from the English word competence, of the same origin, which Noam Chomsky set against performance.^[2][3][7]

The old sense “rivalry” developed under the influence of the Latin verb in its meaning “to seek together”.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1468, in Georges Chastellain's Livre de paix, in the phrase en competence de “in relation to”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The word followed the same path as compétent: from a legal term for the power of a court to hear a case (1596, Hulsius) it spread to the general sense “ability that comes from knowledge or experience” (1690, Furetière).^[3][2] By metonymy it came to mean a competent person (1903, often in the plural).^[2][3] In linguistics it has been used since about 1960 for a speaker's implicit knowledge of a language, after Chomsky.^[2][3]

A sense “rivalry, contest” (1585) was marked as dated by the Académie in 1835; it was ousted by the related word compétition and disappeared.^[2][3]

Timeline

• c. 1468 – Georges Chastellain uses en competence de “in relation to”.^[2][5]
• 1585 – Noël du Fail uses it in the sense “rivalry”.^[2][3]
• 1596 – Hulsius records the legal sense, the competence of a court.^[2][5]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “ability in a field”.^[2][5]
• 1835 – The Académie marks the sense “rivalry” as dated.^[2]
• 1903 – It is used for a competent person.^[2][3]
• c. 1960 – The linguistic sense appears.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (law) The power legally given to an authority or a court to perform an act or to hear a case, jurisdiction: la compétence du maire, décliner la compétence d'un tribunal.^[7][2][5]
2. Thorough, recognized knowledge that qualifies someone to judge or decide in a field, competence, skill: Ce n'est pas de ma compétence.^[7][5][6]
3. (familiar) A competent person, an expert.^[7][2]
4. (linguistics) The implicit grammatical and lexical knowledge that allows a speaker to form and understand an unlimited number of sentences, as opposed to performance.^[7][2]
5. (biology) The property of a tissue that is able to respond to a stimulus.^[7]

Related words

• compétent
• compéter
• compétition
• incompétence
• Latin competentia
• English competence

References

1. ^ a b c 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 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
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