lyrique

Forms

lyrique (plural lyriques)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin lyricus (“of the lyre”),^[2][3] from Ancient Greek λυρικός (lurikós), from λύρα (lúra, “lyre”).^[4][5][6] It is thus related to lyre.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 1495 edition of Jean de Vignay's Miroir historial, of the ancient poets who composed poems declaimed to the accompaniment of the lyre; it is used as a noun for such a poet by the end of the 15th century.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

From the 16th century the word was applied to the French poetic genres that grew out of the ancient lyric genres, such as the ode: Ronsard wrote of his lirique Muse in 1550.^[2][5][6] In 1755 Batteux applied it to poetry that expresses the poet's own feelings, its main sense today, and in 1862 Baudelaire extended it to poetic prose.^[2][5] Outside the arts it has meant, since 1801, carried away by an excessive or ridiculous enthusiasm.^[2][5]

In the theatre it has described a work set to music and sung on stage since about 1751, in Voltaire, which gave scène lyrique (1812), drame lyrique (1831, Musset), artiste lyrique “opera singer” (1897) and art lyrique (1920).^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1495 – Jean de Vignay's Miroir historial uses it of ancient poets.^[2][3]
• Late 15th–early 16th century – Octovien de Saint-Gelais writes of chantz liriques, songs sung to the lyre.^[2]
• 1550 – Ronsard applies it to French poetry.^[2]
• 1694 – The Académie française records the word.^[2]
• 1751 – Voltaire uses it of a work sung on stage.^[2][5]
• 1755 – Batteux applies it to poems expressing the poet's feelings.^[2][5]
• 1801 – Marie-Joseph Chénier uses it for excessive enthusiasm.^[2]
• 1831 – Musset writes drame lyrique.^[2][5]
• 1862 – Baudelaire speaks of prose lyrique.^[2]
• 1897 – Artiste lyrique is recorded, in Jules Renard.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (antiquity) Meant to be sung to the lyre or other music: poète lyrique.^[6][7]
2. (literary history) Belonging to the genres that derive from Greek lyric poetry, such as the ode, as opposed to epic and dramatic.^[6][3]
3. Expressing the poet's own feelings in rhythm and imagery, and belonging to that kind of poetry: la poésie lyrique.^[6][2]
4. Full of a poet's enthusiasm or exaltation.^[6][3]
5. (music, theatre) Set to music and sung on stage: drame lyrique, art lyrique, artiste lyrique “opera singer”.^[6][2]

Noun

1. A lyric poet.^[6][1]
2. (feminine, technical) Lyric poetry as a whole.^[6][8]

Word family

• lyrisme
• lyriquement

Related words

• lyre
• Latin lyricus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF