instrumentation

Forms

instrumentation f (plural instrumentations)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French instrumenter + -ation.^[2][3][4][1] The verb is from French instrument,^[2] which was borrowed about 1200 from Latin instrūmentum, from instruō in the sense “to equip”.^[5] The GLLF takes the second sense, “set of instruments”, directly from the noun.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in music in 1823, in the Notes d'une ancienne cantatrice printed in Stendhal's Rossini, for the scoring of music for instruments.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The musical sense, “arrangement, orchestration”, is the older and common one; the verb instrumenter had taken the sense “to orchestrate a score” in the same year.^[7][2] Michelet used the word metaphorically for a set of instruments in 1857,^[7] and the technical sense “set of instruments or apparatus equipping an installation” is recorded before 1914 in surgery.^[2][6] In 1962 Larousse recorded it for the control equipment of an oil refinery and for the study of such instruments.^[6]

English instrumentation (1836) comes from the French word.^[8]

Timeline

• 1823 – First recorded in music, in Stendhal's Rossini.^[2][7]
• 1836 – English instrumentation is recorded.^[8]
• 1857 – Michelet uses it metaphorically for a set of instruments.^[7]
• Before 1914 – A catalogue of surgical instruments uses it for sets of instruments.^[2]
• 1962 – Larousse records it in the oil industry.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (music) The part of orchestration that assigns the parts of a composition to particular instruments, according to their range and timbre, also the way this is done in a piece.^[4][6][9]
2. (technical) A set of instruments or apparatus used for a given activity: l'instrumentation d'un laboratoire.^[2][4]

Related words

• instrument
• instrumenter
• instrumental
• instrumentiste

References

1. ^ a b c 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette