directorial

Forms

directorial (feminine directoriale, masculine plural directoriaux, feminine plural directoriales)^[1] The first record has the form directoral (1685).^[2][3]

Etymology

In the sense “of a director” it is formed from French directeur + -ial, built on Latin director, the Latin form of that word.^[2][3][4] The first record, in 1685, has the form directoral, and the word reappears in its present form only in 1832.^[2][3]

In the sense “of the Directory” it was formed from directoire, after the Latin directorium, with the same suffix.^[2] Bloch and Wartburg date this political use to 1796.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Furetière used directoral in 1685 in his second Factum for “relating to a director”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The Petit Robert calls the 17th-century use a hapax.^[6] The 1685 record comes from Quemada's datings, taken up by the Grand Robert and the TLFi.^[7] After the Directoire, the executive of five directors that governed France from 1795 to 1799, was set up, the word came back as directoriaux, a noun for the regime's partisans (1795), and as an adjective “relating to the Directory” (1796).^[2][8] Littré still gave only this historical sense.^[4]

The sense “of a director”, of any institution or firm, returned in Balzac's letters in 1832 and is the usual one today.^[2][6] The GLLF dates it only to Boiste's dictionary of 1829.^[8]

Timeline

• 1685 – Furetière uses directoral “relating to a director”.^[2]
• 1795 – Directoriaux names the partisans of the Directory.^[2]
• 1796 – Pastoret uses the adjective “relating to the Directory”.^[2][8]
• 1829 – Boiste records the sense “of a director”.^[8]
• 1832 – The form directorial appears in Balzac's correspondence.^[2][6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or relating to a directeur, the director or manager of an institution: les décisions directoriales.^[6][2]
2. (history) Of the Directoire, the Directory that governed France from 1795 to 1799.^[2][6][4]
3. (history, as a noun) A partisan or member of the Directory.^[2][4]

Related words

• directeur
• directoire
• direction
• Latin director

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse