mission

Pronunciation

• IPA: /mi.sjɔ̃/^[1]

Forms

mission f (plural missions)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin missiō (“a sending; release, discharge”), from mittō (“to send”) (see mettre).^{[2][3][4][5][6][1]} Old French had already taken the word as meission (1188–1500) in the sense “expense, outlay”, from Medieval Latin missio “expense” (before 1058), with a verb meissionner (“to spend”), Bloch and Wartburg compare mettre “to spend” and mise “outlay”.^[2][3][4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gilles li Muisis (about 1350) uses it for the divine mission of Christ, his being sent by God.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century dictionaries give only the medical senses “release” and “letting (of blood)”, later taken by émission.^[3][8] The modern senses date from the 17th century: a task given to someone, first in international politics (1656, Pascal), the group of people sent to carry it out (1842, Stendhal), and, from 1831 (Balzac) the purpose or function of a thing.^[2][3] Chargé de mission dates from 1946–49.^[2][3]

The religious sense flourished in the 17th century: the evangelization of a country (1671), a course of preaching (1675), the body of missionaries (1680) and their buildings (1690), at the time of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith and the Société des Missions étrangères (1658).^[2][3] Littré records missions bottées, the dragonnades against Protestants.^[2]

Timeline

• 1188 – Meission “expense”, Aimon de Varennes.^[7]
• c. 1350 – The mission of Christ.^[2]
• 1656 – A task given to someone, Pascal.^[2]
• 1671 – A religious mission, Pomey.^[2][9]
• 1831 – The purpose of a thing, Balzac.^[2]
• 1842 – A group sent on a mission, Stendhal.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A mission, an assignment: confier une mission à quelqu'un, partir en mission, mission accomplie.^[10][1]
2. A group of people sent on a task: mission diplomatique, scientifique.^[2][10]
3. A calling, purpose: la mission de l'école, se donner pour mission de.^[2][3]
4. (religion) A mission: evangelization, pays de mission; the missionaries; their station.^[2][1]
5. (military, spaceflight) An operation: mission aérienne, spatiale.^[2][1]

Word family

• missionnaire
• missionner

Related words

• admission
• démission
• mettre
• permission
• rémission
• émission
• Latin missiō

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 p 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 e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 174a
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert