descriptif

Forms

descriptif (feminine descriptive, masculine plural descriptifs, feminine plural descriptives)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin dēscrīptīvus (“serving for description”), first recorded in 1464 and then not again until 1769.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin adjective comes from dēscrīptum, the supine of dēscrībō (“to write down, describe”), the source of décrire.^[3][4][5] Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1770, with an earlier isolated record in 1469, and see it as taken to serve as the adjective of that verb and of description.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first, isolated record is note descriptive de notaire in Lagadeuc's Catholicon (1464), of a writing whose purpose is to describe.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Taken up again in the late 18th century, the adjective was used of verbal description, especially in literature: Saint-Lambert wrote of poésie descriptive in 1769.^[2][3] From 1802 it describes a writer (poëte descriptif), and as a noun it named the descriptive genre (Sainte-Beuve, 1828) and a descriptive writer (1854).^[2][3]

It became a term of geometry with Monge's Géométrie descriptive (1799), of anatomy (anatomie descriptive, Bichat, 1801) and of public works (devis descriptif, 1852), whence the noun un descriptif (1968), a document describing the work to be done.^[2][3] Grammaire descriptive dates from 1933.^[2]

Timeline

• 1464 – Isolated first record in Lagadeuc's Catholicon.^[2][3]
• 1769 – Saint-Lambert writes of poésie descriptive.^[2]
• 1799 – Monge's Géométrie descriptive.^[2][3]
• 1801 – Bichat uses anatomie descriptive.^[2][3]
• 1802 – Applied to a poet.^[2][3]
• 1828 – Sainte-Beuve uses le descriptif for the descriptive genre.^[2][3]
• 1852 – Devis descriptif is recorded in public works.^[2][3]
• 1968 – Un descriptif is recorded as a noun.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That describes or aims to describe: poésie descriptive, style descriptif.^[8][9][10]
2. Géométrie descriptive: the technique of representing figures in space on a plane, devised by Monge; descriptive geometry.^[8][9]
3. Of a science or discipline that describes its object from observable facts: anatomie descriptive, linguistique descriptive.^[8][2]
4. (dated) Of a writer or artist, gifted for description: un poète descriptif.^[5][7]

Noun

1. A document giving a detailed description of something, with plans and diagrams.^[11][9][5]
2. (construction) A document setting out the works to be done and the materials to be used.^[11][3]

Related words

• décrire
• description
• descripteur
• Latin dēscrībō

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 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 j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
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 Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)