compensatoire

Forms

compensatoire (plural compensatoires)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French compenser + -atoire.^[2][3][1] Rey sees it as carrying on the sense of Late Latin compēnsātīvus (“compensating”), which French took in the 19th century as compensatif.^[4][2]

Compenser is from Latin compēnsō (“to weigh together for comparison”), from pēnsō (“to weigh”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1823, in the additions to Boiste's dictionary, meaning “that compensates”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The GLLF and the BHVF date Boiste's record to 1829, and the BHVF also finds it in Landais's dictionary in 1836.^[6][7] The synonym compensatif is attested in 1842–1845, in Renan.^[2][4]

In phonetics, Darmesteter spoke of allongements compensatifs in 1876, and allongement compensatoire “compensatory lengthening” is recorded in 1933.^[2][4] The adjective also became a term of finance, in montants compensatoires.^[4][8]

Timeline

• 1823 – First recorded in the additions to Boiste's dictionary.^[2]
• 1829 – Recorded in Boiste, the date the GLLF gives.^[6][7]
• 1842–1845 – The synonym compensatif appears in Renan.^[2]
• 1876 – Darmesteter writes of allongements compensatifs in phonetics.^[2]
• 1933 – Allongement compensatoire is recorded.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (formal) That compensates, that constitutes a compensation: indemnité compensatoire.^[2][9][10]
2. (phonetics) Allongement compensatoire: compensatory lengthening.^[2]
3. (law) Prestation compensatoire: a sum one spouse may have to pay the other on divorce, in money or in property.^[8][9] Intérêts compensatoires: interest owed as compensation for the failure to perform an obligation.^[9]
4. (economics) Montants compensatoires monétaires: sums paid to farmers of the European Union to offset differences in farm prices between member states.^[8]

Related words

• compenser
• compensation
• compensatif
• compensateur
• compensé
• Latin compēnsō

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)