dictatorial

Forms

dictatorial (feminine dictatoriale, masculine plural dictatoriaux, feminine plural dictatoriales)^[1]

Etymology

It is from French dictateur, formed on the Latin stem of the noun after the pattern of sénateur and sénatorial.^[2][3][4][5] The noun comes from Latin dictātor.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF date it from 1777, in the Courrier de l'Europe, meaning “belonging to a dictator or a dictatorship”;^[3][6] the TLFi's first record is a speech by Mirabeau in 1790.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The extended senses “absolute and unchecked” (of powers) and, figuratively, “very authoritarian, peremptory” (of a tone) were recorded by Larousse in 1870.^[6] The adverb dictatorialement is first found in 1869, in a letter of Gambetta.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1777 – First recorded in the Courrier de l'Europe.^[3][6]
• 1790 – Mirabeau uses it in a speech.^[2][5]
• 1869 – Gambetta uses the adverb dictatorialement.^[2]
• 1870 – Larousse records the senses “absolute” and “peremptory”.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Belonging to a dictator or relating to a dictatorship: pouvoirs dictatoriaux, régime dictatorial.^[7][2][8]
2. (by extension) Absolute and without control.^[6]
3. (figurative) Very authoritarian, peremptory: un ton dictatorial.^[7][6]

Word family

• dictatorialement

Related words

• dictateur
• dictature
• Latin dictātor

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette