construction

Forms

construction f (plural constructions)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin cōnstructiō (“structure, act of building, arrangement of words”),^[2][3] formed on cōnstructum, the supine of cōnstruō (“to build, pile up together”).^[4][5][6] The Latin verb is made of con- and struō (“to pile up”).^[7] The Latin noun already had the grammatical sense of the arrangement of words in a sentence, which French took over.^[2][6] The TLFi dates the first record to the end of the 12th century, while the Grand Robert and Rey give 1130.^[2][4][6]

Cognate with Old Occitan constructio, Spanish construcción and Italian costruzione.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded at the end of the 12th century in the Old French Job, in a figurative sense of building: soi ellievent plus riche à la construction del celeste païs “they rise up richer for the building of the heavenly land”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

The word took over all the senses of the verb construire.^[6] It was a term of grammar by the first half of the 13th century, for the arrangement of words in a sentence,^[2][6] and in the 14th century Bersuire speaks of the constructions of Livy.^[8]

From 1635 it also named the thing built, a building, and it is now a general word for houses and other buildings.^[2][6] Furetière recorded the drawing of a geometrical figure in 1690, and the Académie the figurative construction of a poem in 1694.^[2][5] Today it also names the building of ships, cars and machines and the industries that make them.^[9]

Timeline

• 1130 – The date the Grand Robert and Rey give for the first record.^[4][6]
• Late 12th century – First record in the TLFi, in the Old French Job.^[2]
• 1225–1250 – Henri d'Andeli uses it as a term of grammar.^[2][6]
• 14th century – Bersuire writes of the constructions of Livy's style.^[8]
• 1635 – Monet records the sense “thing built, building”.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the drawing of a geometrical figure.^[2][5]
• 1694 – The Académie records the figurative construction of a poem.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. The act of building something, or of having it built: une école en construction “a school being built”.^[9][2]
2. The art and techniques of building.^[9][8]
3. The building of ships, vehicles or machines, and the industry that does it: les constructions navales.^[9]
4. Something built: a building, a structure.^[9][2]
5. (figurative) The composing of an abstract thing by giving it a structure, and the thing so composed: the construction of a novel, a philosophical system.^[9][8]
6. (grammar) The arrangement of words in a sentence; a syntactic construction.^[8][2]
7. (geometry) The drawing of a figure.^[2][5]

Related words

• construire
• constructeur
• constructif
• Latin cōnstructiō
• English construction

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 n o p 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1087b
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert