Etymologically
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mouvement

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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
  • 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