fonction

Forms

fonction f (plural fonctions)^[1] Middle French funcion (1370–72), then function (1566).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin fūnctiō (“performance, execution”), which in legal Latin also meant a public service or office.^[2][3][4][5] It was first taken in the simplified form funcion in 1370, and the fuller function of 1566 is a second borrowing.^[3] The Latin noun comes from fungor (“to perform, discharge”), through its supine fūnctum.^[3][6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is an isolated funcion “execution” in Nicole Oresme's Éthiques (1370–72).^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word reappears in 1537 in Jean Canappe's version of a book of Galen's therapeutics.^[2][4] From 1566 it meant the exercise of an office, from 1585 the office or post itself, and, from the early 19th century a profession seen as serving society.^[2][3][8] Faire fonction de “to act as” is recorded in 1835, after faire la fonction de (1671), and fonction publique “the civil service” is a 20th-century legal term.^[3][9]

Of things, it has meant since 1680 (Richelet) the characteristic role of an element in a whole, including the work of a bodily organ, and it became a term of grammar (1803), mechanics (1845) and chemistry (1865).^[2][3] Leibniz used it in mathematics in 1694, in a letter to Huygens, for a set relation between two quantities; hence être fonction de and en fonction de (mid-19th century) for “depending on”.^[2][3][10]

Timeline

• 1370–1372 – Funcion “execution” appears in Oresme's Éthiques.^[2]
• 1537 – Fonction appears in Jean Canappe.^[2][4]
• 1566 – Paradin uses function for the exercise of an office.^[2][3]
• 1585 – Noël du Fail uses it for a post.^[2]
• 1671 – Faire la fonction de is recorded.^[3][9]
• 1680 – Richelet records the role of an element or organ.^[2]
• 1694 – Leibniz uses it in mathematics.^[2][10]
• 1770 – Turgot uses the derivative fonctionnaire.^[3][4]
• 1803 – First used in grammar.^[3]
• 1835 – The Académie records faire fonction de.^[9][3]
• 1845 – Bescherelle records it in mechanics.^[2]
• 1865 – First used in chemistry.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. What a person has to do in a job or role; a duty or task.^[11][8]
2. A post or office, seen in relation to the community: être en fonction, fonction publique “the civil service”.^[11][8]
3. Voiture de fonction, appartement de fonction: a car or flat provided with a post.^[11][1]
4. Faire fonction de: to act as, serve as.^[11]
5. The particular role of a thing within a whole.^[11]
6. (biology) The set of active properties of an organ that serve one end: la fonction respiratoire.^[11]
7. (chemistry) A set of properties due to a given atomic structure.^[11]
8. (linguistics) The role of a unit within a system.^[11]
9. (computing) A command that performs a particular task.^[11]
10. (mathematics) A correspondence that associates each element of a set with at most one element of another set; a function.^[11][1]
11. Être fonction de: to depend on;^[11] en fonction de: according to, in relation to.^[11]

Word family

• fonctionnaire
• fonctionnel
• fonctionnement
• fonctionner

Related words

• fongible
• Latin fūnctiō

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 860a
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)