discographie

Forms

discographie f (plural discographies)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French disco- + -graphie on the model of bibliographie.^[2][3][4] The TLFi takes it as probably borrowed from English discography, recorded in English from 1935, and the Grand Robert allows that it may have come through the English word.^[5][3] The medical word for a radiograph of a disc is formed from disque “intervertebral disc” and radiographie, according to the Grand Robert;^[3] Larousse gives the English word as the source of this sense.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi first records it in 1963 in Disque français, for a catalogue of recordings;^[5][4] the Petit Robert dates it to 1962.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The adjective discographique is recorded a little earlier, in 1957.^[4] The noun became common as the record industry grew, for the art of cataloguing recordings and for a list of the records of a composer, performer or subject.^[4][2] In medicine a separate formation of the mid-20th century names an X-ray examination of the intervertebral discs.^[3][5] English discography dates from 1933 according to Etymonline.^[7]

Timeline

• 1935 – English discography is recorded.^[5]
• Mid-20th century – The medical sense appears.^[3]
• 1957 – The adjective discographique is recorded.^[4]
• 1963 – The noun is recorded in Disque français.^[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A discography, a list of the recordings of a composer, performer or genre: la discographie de Brassens.^[8][6][2]
2. The art of cataloguing records and recordings.^[2]
3. (medicine) A radiography of an intervertebral disc after a contrast medium has been injected.^[5][6][1]

Word family

• discographique

Related words

• disque
• discothèque
• bibliographie
• English discography

Usage notes

The Grand Robert has two headwords: discographie 1, the catalogue of recordings (1963), and discographie 2, the medical examination (mid-20th century); both are formed from disque and -graphie, so they are given here as two senses of one word.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)