intercepter

Forms

intercepter^[1]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from French interception, made on the model of pairs such as accepter / acception and excepter / exception.^[2][3][4] The noun (second half of the 13th century) is from Latin interceptiō (“theft, interruption”), formed on interceptum, the supine of intercipiō (“to take away, to seize on the way”), from inter- and capiō (“to take, to seize”).^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1528, in the correspondence of Cardinal de Granvelle, meaning “to seize on the way something meant for someone else”.^[2][6][5]

Semantic evolution

Beside the first sense, the verb took up the noun's other meaning “to stop in its course” (1606, Crespin),^[6][5] as of clouds that cut off the sun's rays.^[2] From the 18th century it was used in warfare for preventing a ship, and later an aircraft, from reaching its goal (Raynal, 1770),^[6][5] and in team sports for catching the ball during the opponents' pass (1896).^[7][5] The TLFi's dates for these senses are later: 1780 for the military use and 1930 for sport.^[2]

The noun intercepteur (1757) is rare in the general sense, but since 1950 it names a fighter plane built to intercept, probably after the English word interceptor.^[5]

Timeline

• 1528 – First record, in the correspondence of Cardinal de Granvelle.^[2]
• 1606 – Crespin uses it for “to stop in its course”.^[6][5]
• 1757 – The noun intercepteur appears.^[5]
• 1770 – Raynal uses it of ships prevented from reaching their destination.^[6][5]
• 1896 – First use in sport.^[7][5]
• 1950 – Intercepteur is used for a fighter plane.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To seize or take over on the way what is sent or addressed to someone else, to intercept a letter or a message.^[7][2]
2. To learn of something meant for another: to intercept a radio message, to catch a look.^[2]
3. (sports) To take the ball during the opponents' pass.^[7][6]
4. (military, aviation) To stop a ship or an aircraft before it reaches its goal.^[7][6]
5. To stop something in its course, to cut off: les arbres interceptaient la lumière.^[7][2]

Word family

• intercepteur

Related words

• interception
• capter
• Latin intercipiō

References

1. ^ a b 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
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 c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert