monographe

Forms

monographe m, also an adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from French mono- + -graphe, after monographie.^[1] Littré relates the second part to Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō, “to write”).^[2] That noun was itself composed of the same prefix and -graphie in 1800, or in 1793 according to Bloch and Wartburg.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1792 A. D. Rouyer called himself a monographe prudent, a deviser of a universal system of writing, in his Essai raisonné de monographie universelle.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In the sense now current, Boiste's dictionary had monographe as an adjective of an author or a book dealing with a single subject in 1819, and Raymond's as a noun in 1824.^[1] The noun came to mean the author of a monographie;^[1][2] Sainte-Beuve (1835) and Renan used it so.^[1][2] In 1865 E. Raoux used it in spelling reform for a single letter standing for several sounds (monographes polyphones).^[4]

Timeline

• 1792 – Rouyer calls himself a monographe, a deviser of a universal writing.^[4]
• 1819 – Boiste has auteur, livre monographe.^[1]
• 1824 – Raymond records the noun, an author or book on a single subject.^[1][4]
• 1865 – Raoux uses it for a letter of the alphabet.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. The author of a monograph.^[1][2]

Adjective

1. Dealing with a single subject.^[2][1]

Related words

• monographie
• monographique

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
2. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF