moment

Pronunciation

• IPA: /mɔ.mɑ̃/^[1]

Forms

moment m (plural moments)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin mōmentum (“movement, impulse; weight that tips a balance; influence; instant”), contracted from “*movimentum”, from moveō (“to move”) (see mouvoir).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The Latin word meant “impulse, movement, change” and the weight that sets a balance moving, hence “decisive cause, influence”; since that weight is usually small, it also came to mean “a particle, a small division”, especially of time.^[2][3]

The scientific sense “product of a force by its lever arm” was borrowed again from Latin in 1634, in Mersenne's French version of Galileo, who used Italian momento, English has “momentum” (1699) and “moment” (1706) in this sense.^[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg explain “moment psychologique” as a calque of German “psychologisches Moment”, with the scientific sense, used to justify the bombardment of Paris in 1870, but understood in French as a point in time.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1119 in Philippe de Thaon's Comput, as a very small division of time: Momenz e atometes.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Of the senses of the Latin word French kept mainly the temporal one, first “a very short space of time”, then a stretch of time of undefined length (1604).^[3][2] The word was rare until the 17th century, when it became common.^[4] Dernier moment “the time before death” dates from 1635, “occasion, circumstance” from 1654–1659, and “the present time” (l'impulsion du moment) from about 1770 (Rousseau); “phase of a development” is Taine's (1863).^[2][3]

Many phrases arose: en un moment (about 1160), dans un moment (1664), à tout moment (1665–1690), d'un moment à l'autre (1694) and pour le moment (1755), with the conjunctions du moment que (1655) and au moment où (late 17th century).^[3] In physics came moment d'inertie (1786) and moment d'une force (1811).^[2]

Timeline

• 1119 – Momenz in Philippe de Thaon's Comput.^[2]
• 1604 – A stretch of time of indefinite length.^[2]
• 1634 – The term of mechanics, in Mersenne.^[2]
• 1635 – Dernier moment in Corneille.^[2]
• 1655 – Du moment que.^[3]
• 1755 – Pour le moment.^[3]
• c. 1770 – “The present time”, in Rousseau.^[2]
• 1786 – Moment d'inertie.^[2]
• 1870 – Moment psychologique in the Goncourts' Journal.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A moment, an instant: Attendez un moment.^[1][7]
2. A while, a stretch of time: un bon moment, passer un bon moment.^[1][8]
3. The right time, an opportunity: C'est le moment, le moment venu.^[2][3]
4. The present time: en ce moment, pour le moment, le succès du moment.^[2][7]
5. A phase or stage of a development.^[2]
6. Au moment où: when, du moment que: since, as long as.^[3]
7. (physics) A moment: le moment d'une force, moment d'inertie.^[2][1]

Related words

• instant
• momentané
• mouvoir
• Latin mōmentum

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 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 i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c 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. 6/3, 61a
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse