consulaire

Forms

consulaire (plural consulaires)^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin cōnsulāris (“of a consul”), from cōnsul.^[3][1][4][5] In Medieval Latin the word also meant “relating to a count” or “relating to a town consul”.^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is Bersuire's translation of Livy, in a manuscript from before 1380, where it refers to the Roman consuls;^[3][4] Littré quotes from it comices consulaires, the assemblies that elected them.^[3][4] Bloch and Wartburg date it to about 1295, as does Rey.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

The adjective has followed the history of consul, somewhat later.^[6] As a noun it meant a former Roman consul from 1680 (Richelet).^[3] In 1690 Furetière records it for the jurisdiction of the juges consuls, the merchant judges; from this come today's juge consulaire, an elected judge of a commercial court, and the chambres consulaires, the chambers of commerce, trades and agriculture.^[3][7]

In 1799 it was applied to the government of the three consuls set up by the Constitution of the Year VIII, and in 1803 Chateaubriand uses it for a consul posted abroad, the diplomatic sense.^[3][6] The adverb consulairement dates from 1690.^[6]

Timeline

• before 1380 – Bersuire's translation of Livy uses it of the Roman consuls.^[3][1]
• 1680 – Richelet records the noun “former Roman consul”.^[3]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “of the merchant judges' jurisdiction”, and consulairement appears.^[3][6]
• 1799 – Applied to the French Consulate under the Constitution of the Year VIII.^[3]
• 1803 – Chateaubriand uses it of a consul abroad.^[3][6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Roman history) Relating to the consuls of Rome: les faisceaux consulaires, les fastes consulaires, les comices consulaires.^[7][3][4][5]
2. (historical) Relating to the jurisdiction of the merchant judges; today juge consulaire, an elected judge of a tribunal de commerce, and chambre consulaire, a public body such as a chamber of commerce.^[7][8][9]
3. Relating to the Consulate of the three consuls of the Year VIII: le régime consulaire.^[7][9]
4. Relating to a consulate abroad, consular: un agent consulaire.^[7][8]

Noun

1. (Roman history) A man who had held the office of consul.^[9][3][4]

Word family

• consulairement

Related words

• consul
• consulat
• proconsulaire
• Latin cōnsulāris

References

1. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
2. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
6. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)