obituaire

Forms

obituaire m (plural obituaires)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin obituārium,^[2][3][4] the neuter of the adjective obituārius used as a noun,^[3][1] from Latin obitus (“death”), the source of obit.^[5][6][7][8] Du Cange lists the Medieval Latin word under obitarium.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1671, in Pomey's dictionary, for the book in which the names of the dead are written.^[2][3][6]

Semantic evolution

The word named the register of a church or monastery that listed the dead, the day of their burial and the obits (anniversary Masses) founded for them;^[2][3][9][7] registre obituaire is found from 1688, in Richelet.^[2][3][9][7] Under the old regime it also named the cleric granted at the court of Rome a benefice left vacant by the death of its holder (from 1674 to 1798).^[3][2][9]

In 1883 Villiers de l'Isle-Adam used it for a mortuary where bodies were kept until burial;^[2][3] in this sense the variant obitoire is found from 1907.^[3]

Timeline

• 1671 – Pomey records it for the register of the dead.^[2][6]
• 1674 – A collection of royal edicts uses it for the holder of a benefice vacant by death.^[2]
• 1688 – Richelet records registres obituaires.^[2][3]
• 1690 – Furetière records the noun obituaire.^[6]
• 1798 – The Académie still lists the benefice sense, which then dies out.^[2][3]
• 1883 – Villiers de l'Isle-Adam uses it for a mortuary.^[2][3]
• 1907 – The variant obitoire appears in that sense.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Catholicism) An obituary in the old sense: the register of a church or abbey listing the dead and the obits founded for them.^[8][7][1]
2. A mortuary where bodies are kept until burial (also obitoire).^[2][3]
3. (historical) The cleric granted by the court of Rome a bénéfice left vacant by death.^[2][9]

Adjective

1. (Catholicism) Relating to death, mortuaire: registre obituaire.^[8][10][4]

Related words

• obit
• mortuaire
• Latin obitus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)