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fonctionner

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Etymology and origin of the French word fonctionner

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1637 Chronique bordelaise More words from the 17th century
Ultimate origin
Latin fungor
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin fungor
Latin fūnctiō
French fonction
Romanian funcție
French fonctionner
Italian funzionare
Romanian funcționa
Italian funzione
Spanish función
From the same root
Latin dēfungor ← fungor
Latin perfungor ← fungor
English function ← fūnctiō

Pronunciation

  • /fɔ̃k.sjɔ.ne/[1]

Forms

fonctionner[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French fonction + -er.[2][3][4] Fonction (1537) is from Latin fūnctiō (“performance, public office”), the action noun of fungor (“to perform, discharge”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as functionner in 1637, in the Chronique bordelaise, meaning “to fill an office”.[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

After this isolated record the verb reappears in 1787, when Féraud records fonctionner.[2][4] It has the general sense “to perform its function”, said of a mechanism; in the 19th century it was used of abstract things and of people, “to exercise a function, to work”, and also ironically (1837, Balzac).[6][5] The derivative fonctionnement (1838) followed.[6][4] In familiar modern French it is said of a person's way of behaving.[7]

Timeline

  • 1637 – Functionner “to fill an office” appears in the Chronique bordelaise.[2]
  • 1787 – Féraud records fonctionner.[2]
  • 1837 – Balzac uses it of abstract things.[5]
  • 1838 – The derivative fonctionnement is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. Of a machine or organ, to function, to work, to run: la pompe fonctionne à l'électricité.[7][5]
  2. To play its part, to work as it should, said of an organization or system.[7][5]
  3. Faire fonctionner: to operate, to set working.[7]
  4. (familiar) Of a person, to behave, to act in a certain way.[7]

Word family

  • fonctionnement

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, 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. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Fonctionner.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/fonctionner. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·