Etymologically
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journal

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʒuʁ.nal/[1]

Forms

journal m (plural journaux)[1] Old French jornal, jornel; the popular form in -el survives in journellement.[2][3] In the old sense of a measure of land the plural is journals.[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French jornal, inherited from Late Latin diurnālis (“of the day”), from diurnus (“of the day”), from diēs (“day”).[1][5][6] The TLFi and Bloch–Wartburg treat it as a derivative of “jorn”, the old form of jour, with the suffix “-al”, Rey thinks the Latin origin more probable, since “diurnalis” and “jornalis” are found from 704 for a measure of land.[4][3][2] Old and Middle French hesitated between the learned ending “-al” and the popular “-el”, and “-al” won.[4]

Bloch and Wartburg suggest that the sense “periodical” may be due to Italian giornale;[3] the Latin “acta diurna”, the daily public record of Rome, is a parallel.[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first an adjective: esteiles jurnals, “morning stars”, in Philippe de Thaon's Comput (1119).[4] As a noun it meant the break of day in the early 12th century, and about 1150 a measure of land, the area that could be ploughed in a day.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the noun also meant a day, a day's battle or journey, and a day's work; the measure of land is still alive in some regions.[4][2] From 1319 it was a register of acts kept in the Chambre des Comptes, and, from 1371 a book of daily prayers; from these came the sense of a day-by-day account.[4][2] Livre journal (1543) and papier journal (1553), a book of accounts, keep the old adjective.[4]

In the 17th century journal became the name of periodicals: first learned ones, such as the Journal des savants (1665), while news-sheets were called gazettes.[2][4] The modern sense of a newspaper dates from the Journal de Paris of 1777, the first French daily, and the word gradually drove out gazette.[2][3] Journal intime is recorded in 1780 (Restif de La Bretonne);[8] later the word was applied to news bulletins on radio (journal parlé, 1880) and television (journal télévisé).[2] In Belgium a journal de classe is a pupil's homework book.[2] English journal, mid-14th century, came from Anglo-French jurnal.[9]

Timeline

  • 1119 – Esteiles jurnals “morning stars”, Philippe de Thaon.[4]
  • Early 12th century – Break of day, in the Voyage of Saint Brendan.[4]
  • c. 1150 – A measure of land, in the Charroi de Nîmes.[4]
  • 1319 – A register of acts of the Chambre des Comptes.[4]
  • 1371 – A book of daily prayers.[4]
  • 1543 – Livre journal, an account book.[4]
  • 1665 – The Journal des savants.[4][2]
  • 1777 – The Journal de Paris, the first French daily.[2][4]
  • 1780 – Journal intime.[8]
  • 1880 – Journal parlé.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A diary: a day-by-day written account of events: tenir un journal, journal intime, journal de bord.[6][10]
  2. A newspaper, especially a daily one; also a periodical publication.[1][6]
  3. A news bulletin on radio or television: le journal de 20 heures.[2][1]
  4. (commerce) An account book, livre journal.[6][10]
  5. (computing) A log.[1]
  6. (dated, regional) A measure of land, as much as could be ploughed in a day.[4][2]

Word family

  • journalier
  • journalisme
  • journaliste
  • journellement

Usage notes

As an adjective “daily” it is obsolete except in livre journal and papier journal.[2][3]

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 l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s 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
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)