navigation

Forms

navigation f (plural navigations)^[1] Old French navigacion; the spelling navigation is found in Robert Estienne in 1538.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin nāvigātiō (“voyage by sea or by water”), formed on the supine of nāvigō (“to sail”).^[3][2][4] The noun was borrowed earlier than the verb naviguer.^[4] Littré notes that older French said navigage and, earlier still, naviage.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1284 in Jean de Meun's Art de Chevalerie, his translation of Vegetius, meaning a voyage by sea.^[3][4] The Grand Robert and the GLLF date it to about 1265.^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

From 1538 (Robert Estienne) it is used of travel on any water and of the art or trade of the navigator.^[3][4] As early as 1742 Rousseau speaks of navigation aérienne for travel by balloon, and the phrase was applied to aeroplanes in 1875.^[3][4] The 20th century added navigation interplanétaire (1932) and navigation spatiale (1962),^[3][4] and in computing the word names the browsing of pages with a navigateur.^[7][8]

Timeline

• 1284 – Jean de Meun uses it for a voyage by sea.^[3][4]
• 1538 – Robert Estienne records the senses “travel on water” and “art of navigation”.^[3][2]
• 1742 – Rousseau uses navigation aérienne of balloon travel.^[3][4]
• 1875 – Navigation aérienne is applied to the aeroplane.^[3]
• 1932 – Navigation interplanétaire appears.^[3][4]
• 1962 – Navigation spatiale appears.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Travel by water, at sea or on rivers and canals: navigation côtière, navigation fluviale.^[7][3]
2. The science and technique of steering a ship, navigation: navigation à l'estime.^[7][2]
3. Shipping, the traffic of vessels on a route: compagnies de navigation.^[7]
4. Air travel and its guidance: navigation aérienne, navigation spatiale.^[7][3]
5. (computing) Browsing pages, especially on the Internet.^[7][8]

Related words

• naviguer
• navigateur
• navigable
• navigant
• Latin nāvigātiō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 l m 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 c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org