mythologique

Forms

mythologique (plural mythologiques)^[1] First written mithologique; the spelling mythologique is recorded from 1694.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin mythologicus,^[3][4][2] a word used in a variant of the title of Fulgentius's work on mythology.^[3][5][2] The Latin word is from Ancient Greek μυθολογικός (muthologikós, “skilled at composing fables”),^[3][5][2] from μυθολογία (muthología, “mythology”).^[6][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1480, in the Baratre infernal, in poetes mithologiques, poets who take their subjects from mythology.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

From “dealing with mythology” the adjective came to mean “belonging to mythology”, recorded by the Académie in 1694.^[3][5] By extension it took the sense “fabulous, extraordinary, invented” (Baudelaire, 1866), a use in which it competes with mythique.^[5][3] Along with mythologie it acquired a scholarly value, and it is used as a noun in Mythologiques, the title of a series of works by Claude Lévi-Strauss.^[5] The adverb mythologiquement is recorded in 1611 and taken up again in 1845.^[5]

Timeline

• 1480 – Poetes mithologiques in the Baratre infernal.^[3]
• 1611 – The adverb mythologiquement is recorded.^[5]
• 1694 – The Académie records the sense “belonging to mythology”.^[3][2]
• 1866 – Baudelaire uses it for “fabulous, extraordinary”.^[3][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Belonging to or relating to mythology, especially that of the Greeks and Romans.^[7][3][6]
2. Dealing with mythology: des études mythologiques.^[2]
3. (by extension) Fabulous, extraordinary, invented.^[3][5]

Word family

• mythologiquement

Related words

• mythologie
• mythique
• mythologue

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert