gouvernail

Forms

gouvernail m (plural gouvernails)^[1] Old French governail, guvernail and, in the nominative, governaus.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French governail, inherited from Latin gubernāculum (“steering oar, rudder”).^[2][4][5] The Latin noun is formed on gubernō (“to steer, to govern”),^[6][5] which Latin took from Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer”).^[7] In Latin it was already used figuratively of the government of a state.^[2][5] Bloch and Wartburg note that the Latin word named only a strong oar with a broad blade, and that the rudder of the modern type was invented in the Middle Ages.^[8]

Cognate with Occitan governal and Catalan governall.^[9][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears as governail in Rashi's French glosses at the end of the 11th century; about 1160 the Roman d'Énéas uses it of the rudder of a ship.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The word kept both values of its Latin source: the rudder of a ship and, figuratively, the government or management of a state, recorded from the 14th century and, for the conduct of public affairs, from 1534 (Rabelais).^[2][5][10] These figurative uses have aged, although être au gouvernail is still said of the person in charge.^[5][11]

When the vocabulary of sailing passed to aircraft, gouvernail was applied to their control surfaces (1909–1911), as in gouvernail de direction and gouvernail de profondeur.^[5][11]

Timeline

• Late 11th century – Governail appears in Rashi's glosses.^[2][5]
• c. 1160 – The Roman d'Énéas uses it of a ship's rudder.^[2]
• 14th century – It is used for “government”.^[2][5]
• 1534 – Rabelais uses it of the conduct of public affairs.^[5][10]
• 1909 – It is applied to the control surfaces of aircraft.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The rudder of a boat or ship, a flat blade at the stern turned on a vertical axis to steer it.^[11][2]
2. (aviation) A control surface of an aircraft: gouvernail de direction (the rudder), gouvernail de profondeur (the elevator).^[11]
3. (figurative) The helm, the direction of an undertaking or a state: être au gouvernail.^[11][5]

Related words

• gouverner
• gouverne
• gouvernement
• Latin gubernāculum

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 299a
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
8. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
11. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert