Etymologically
Log in

multilingue

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the French word multilingue

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1664 Jean Chapelain More words from the 17th century
Ultimate origin
French multi-,-lingue

Pronunciation

  • /myl.ti.lɛ̃ɡ/[1]

Forms

multilingue (plural multilingues)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French multi- + -lingue, the second element being Latin lingua (“tongue, language”), on the model of bilingue.[2][3][4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Chapelain used it in 1664 as a noun of scorn, calling Huggens the elder a multilingue greedy for glory.[2] The Grand Robert and the GLLF read this early sense as “braggart” or “deceiver”.[5][4]

Semantic evolution

The modern sense “in several languages” appears in 1939, of publications in more than two languages.[2][3] The Grand Robert dates it to about 1960 and the GLLF to the Robert of 1970.[5][4] It also describes a person who speaks several languages and a country or community where several are spoken.[5][6] The noun multilinguisme dates from 1956 (Marcel Cohen).[2]

Timeline

  • 1664 – Chapelain uses it of a man, in a scornful sense.[2]
  • 1939 – First use in the sense “in several languages”.[2][3]
  • 1956 – Multilinguisme first recorded.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Written or done in several languages, for the TLFi three or more: a multilingual dictionary or text.[2][6]
  2. Who speaks several languages; polyglotte.[5][3]
  3. Where several languages are spoken: une région multilingue.[6][5]

Word family

  • multilinguisme

Usage notes

Plurilingue is a synonym; the opposite is monolingue.[7][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  7. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Multilingue.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/multilingue. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·