méson

Forms

méson m (plural mésons)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English meson, a word coined in 1939 from meso- (“middle, intermediate”) and the ending -on of electron and neutron.^[2][3] The prefix comes from Ancient Greek μέσος (mésos, “middle”).^[2][3][4] The TLFi instead analyses the French word as formed from méso- and the ending of électron.^[5] It replaced mesotron (“intermediate particle”), proposed in November 1938 by Anderson and Neddermeyer;^[2] the Grand Robert records French mésoton in 1940, after the English word mesoton (1939).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi first records it in the Larousse mensuel of January 1948, but Rey notes that it was in use earlier.^[5][2] The GLLF dates it to about 1935, after Larousse.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The particles were so named because the first known of them had a mass between that of the électron and that of the proton.^[2][5][3] One of the first studied, the méson π, gave pion.^[2][4] Modern physics defines a meson as a hadron made of a quark and an antiquark.^[4][8]

Timeline

• 1938 – Anderson and Neddermeyer propose mesotron.^[2]
• 1939 – English meson is coined.^[2][3]
• 1940 – French mésoton is recorded.^[6]
• 1948 – Méson is recorded in the Larousse mensuel.^[5][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (particle physics) A meson: a particle of mass intermediate between the electron and the proton; in modern terms a hadron made of a quark and an antiquark: méson K.^[5][9][4][8]

Related words

• pion
• électron
• Ancient Greek μέσος (mésos)
• English meson

Usage notes

An older méson (1765, Encyclopédie) was a term of ancient Greek music for the second tetrachord of the scale, borrowed from μέσον (méson, “the middle”).^[5]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f 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
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)