coordination

Forms

coordination f (plural coordinations)^[1] Middle French coordinacion.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin coōrdinātiō (“arrangement”),^{[4][5][6][1][7]} formed from co- (“together”) and ōrdinātiō (“putting in order”), which comes from the supine of ōrdinō (“to set in order”), from ōrdō (“order”).^[5][8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nicole Oresme uses it in 1361 in his translation of Aristotle's Ethics, for an ordered series of things: the Pythagoreans mettoient deux coordinacions de choses (“set up two orders of things”), the even and the odd.^[4][2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word was rare before the middle of the 18th century;^[4][5][6] Rousseau takes it up in Émile (1762) for the logical arrangement of the parts of a whole.^[4][5][6] In the 19th century it entered the phrase coordination des mouvements (1822), the working together of the muscles,^[5] and in grammar conjonction de coordination (1888).^[4][5][10] It also came to mean the harmonizing of different activities according to a plan,^[9] and a spontaneous grouping of strikers or protesters organized outside the trade unions.^[10]

Timeline

• 1361 – Nicole Oresme uses coordinacion.^[4][5]
• 1762 – Rousseau takes the word up again in Émile.^[4][6]
• 1822 – Coordination des mouvements is recorded.^[5]
• 1863 – The derivative coordonnateur appears.^[5]
• 1865 – Incoordination is first recorded.^[6]
• 1888 – Conjonction de coordination appears in grammar.^[4][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The arrangement of the parts of a whole according to a logical plan, for a given end; the organization of efforts or activities.^[10][4][9]
2. (anatomy) Coordination des mouvements: the combined action of the muscles that makes a movement orderly.^[10][5]
3. A temporary strike or protest committee formed spontaneously, without a trade-union call.^[10]
4. (grammar) The linking of words or clauses of the same kind or function: conjonction de coordination, a coordinating conjunction such as et, ou, mais.^[10][4]

Word family

• incoordination
• coordonnateur
• coordinateur

Related words

• coordonner
• ordonner
• ordination

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 398b
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert