historique

Forms

historique (plural historiques)^[1] Also spelled hystorique in 1480.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin historicus (“of history or a historian”), from Ancient Greek ἱστορικός (historikós, “concerning the knowledge of a thing, historical”), from ἱστορία (historía) (see histoire).^[2][3][4][1] The GLLF takes the Greek word back to ἵστωρ (hístōr, “one who knows”).^[5] It replaced the older learned adjective historial, from Late Latin historiālis (about 1327).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it to 1447; the TLFi's quotation, from the second half of the 15th century, is in a manuscript of Girart de Rossillon.^[4][6][7][2] The sense is “relating to history”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From the 17th century historique is opposed to fabuleux, meaning “based on established facts” (1694).^[3][5] It is used in particular of what can be studied from written documents (1740, temps historiques), as opposed to préhistorique.^[3] From 1763 it qualifies works drawn partly from history: roman historique, then pièce, peinture and film historique.^[3][5]

Since the 19th century it has also meant “that is or deserves to be remembered by history”, as in journée historique, and monument historique dates from 1900.^[3][5] As a masculine noun (before 1755, Saint-Simon) it means a chronological account of events, as in faire l'historique d'une question.^[2][3] About 1510 it was also used as a noun for a historian.^[3]

Timeline

• 1447 – First recorded.^[4][6]
• Second half of the 15th century – Used in a manuscript of Girart de Rossillon.^[2]
• 1480 – The spelling hystorique is found.^[2]
• c. 1510 – Used as a noun for a historian.^[3]
• 1617 – The adverb historiquement is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1694 – The Académie records the sense “based on established facts”.^[3][5]
• 1740 – Temps historiques is recorded.^[3]
• 1755 – Saint-Simon uses the noun for a chronological account.^[2][3]
• 1763 – Roman historique appears.^[3]
• 1900 – Monument historique is recorded.^[3][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Historical, relating to history or its study: des recherches historiques, grammaire historique.^[7][2]
2. Belonging to history, based on established facts rather than legend: un personnage historique;^[7][3] roman historique, a novel drawn from history;^[7][3] temps historiques, as opposed to prehistoric times.^[7][3]
3. Historic, worth remembering: une victoire historique;^[7][1] monument historique, a building protected by the State for its historical interest.^[7][1]

Noun

1. A chronological account of the facts: faire l'historique d'une question.^[7][2]
2. (computing) A history of actions or visited pages.^[1]

Word family

• historicité
• historiquement
• préhistorique

Related words

• histoire
• historien
• Latin historicus

References

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