infrastructure

Forms

infrastructure f (plural infrastructures)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French infra- + structure.^[2][3][4][5] Littré explains the first element as Latin īnfrā (“below”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1875 in the Journal officiel, for the earthworks of a railway line, and Littré's supplement records it as a civil-engineering term.^[2][7][6]

Semantic evolution

The railway sense, the works that make up the bed of a line, was extended to roads.^[5][4] From 1931 it named the ground installations of aviation, and it was used of the lower parts of a building by 1935.^[5][7] Figurative infrastructure “foundation” is found from 1923.^[2] In Marxist vocabulary, from Jaurès (1911 for the TLFi, 1914 for the DHLF), it is the economic organisation of society regarded as the basis of its ideology, as opposed to the superstructure.^[2][5] By the mid-20th century it also meant a set of economic or technical facilities.^[5][4]

Timeline

• 1875 – First recorded in the Journal officiel for railway earthworks.^[2]
• 1911 – Jaurès uses it in the Marxist sense.^[2]
• 1923 – Figurative sense “foundations”.^[2]
• 1931 – Used for ground installations in aviation.^[5][7]
• 1933 – Alain uses it in philosophy.^[2]
• Mid-20th century – A set of economic or technical facilities.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The lower parts of a construction, its foundations; the earthworks and structures that carry a railway line or a road.^[4][2]
2. (aviation) The ground installations, such as runways and buildings;^[4] (military) the installations needed by armed forces in a territory.^[4]
3. A set of economic or technical facilities, infrastructure: l'infrastructure ferroviaire du pays.^[4][2]
4. (Marxism) The economic organisation of a society, as the base of its superstructure.^[5][2]

Related words

• structure
• superstructure
• infra-

References

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