mouvement

Pronunciation

• IPA: /muv.mɑ̃/^[1]

Forms

mouvement m (plural mouvements)^[1] Old French movement, mouvement from the 14th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French mouvoir + -ment.^[4][5][2][1] Wiktionary compares Medieval Latin “movimentum”, probably partly based on the Old French word, “mouvoir” continues Latin moveō (“to move”).^[1][5]

Compare Old Occitan movemen, Catalan moviment, Spanish movimiento and Italian movimento.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Sermons of Saint Bernard (end of the 12th century) movement is the faculty of moving, given to all the limbs; about 1200 the Dialogues of Gregory use it for the way one moves.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

The motions of the heavens are in Nicole Oresme (1377), and an earthquake was a movement of the earth (1247).^[4] Inner impulses (about 1280) and a revolt (second half of the 13th century) came early, and bon mouvement is in Furetière (1690).^[4] A watch's mechanism is a mouvement from 1574.^[4]

In music it named the progression of parts (1691), the tempo (1690) and finally a section of a work (about 1900); in the arts and in style it meant liveliness (1639, Poussin; 1669, La Fontaine).^[4] The movements of troops (1676), ships (1772) and money (1807) followed.^[4] From the Revolution it took the sense of a collective action aiming at social or political change (mouvement populaire, Marat, 1790), then a current of ideas (1819) or a literary school (1825, Hugo).^[4] Être dans le mouvement “to be up to date” is found in 1844.^[7]

Timeline

• Late 12th century – Movement, the faculty of moving.^[4]
• 1247 – An earthquake, in the Image du monde.^[4]
• 1377 – The motions of the heavens, Oresme.^[4]
• 1574 – The works of a watch.^[4]
• 1690 – Tempo in music, Furetière.^[4]
• 1790 – Mouvement populaire, Marat.^[4]
• 1825 – Mouvement littéraire, Hugo.^[4]
• 1844 – Être dans le mouvement.^[7]
• 1845 – Mouvementé.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. movement, motion: a change of position in space: le mouvement d'un pendule, en mouvement.^[8][9]
2. A movement of the body, a gesture: un mouvement de tête.^[8][3]
3. The movements of a group, of vehicles, of goods or money: mouvement de troupes, mouvement des capitaux.^[8][4]
4. An impulse, a feeling: un mouvement de colère, un bon mouvement.^[4][8]
5. A collective action, an organized campaign, or a current of ideas: mouvement syndical, mouvement littéraire.^[4][10]
6. (music) Tempo; a section of a work: le premier mouvement d'une symphonie.^[4]
7. The works of a watch or clock.^[4]

Word family

• mouvementé
• mouvementer

Related words

• mouvance
• mouvoir
• émouvoir
• Latin moveō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t 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
5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert