formatif

Forms

formatif (feminine formative, masculine plural formatifs, feminine plural formatives)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French former + -atif.^[2] The GLLF calls it a learned derivative of the supine of Latin fōrmō (“to form”), and the Grand Robert takes it from the stem of the Latin verb;^[3][4] Wiktionary traces it to Medieval Latin fōrmātīvus.^[1]

Cognate with Spanish formativo and Italian formativo.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1413 in vertu formative “formative power”, in Frère Nicole's French translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi's book on husbandry.^[2] The Robert dictionaries date it to about 1280; the TLFi points out that the passage Godefroy cites from Jean de Meun is really a text of 1516.^[4][6][2]

Semantic evolution

The adjective meant “that serves to form” in the late Middle Ages and was still used so in the 16th century.^[3] It fell out of use and was taken up again at the beginning of the 19th century, with Cuvier in 1808.^[4][6][7]

In linguistics it qualifies what serves to form a word: Saussure in 1916 speaks of éléments formatifs such as stems, suffixes and endings.^[2] Littré records lettre formative, the letter that marks certain forms of words in some languages,^[5] and the GLLF langues formatives as a synonym for inflecting languages, a use it dates to the Académie of 1842.^[3]

Timeline

• 1413 – Vertu formative appears in Frère Nicole's translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi.^[2]
• 16th century – The sense “that serves to form” is still in use.^[3]
• 1808 – Cuvier takes up the word again.^[4][6]
• 1842 – The Académie records the linguistic sense.^[3]
• 1916 – Saussure writes of éléments formatifs.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (formal) That serves to form or shape; formative.^[6][2][1]
2. (linguistics) Serving to form words: éléments formatifs, stems, suffixes and endings.^[2][5]
3. (linguistics) Langues formatives: inflecting languages.^[3]

Related words

• former
• formation
• formateur
• Latin fōrmō

References

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