occasion

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɔ.ka.zjɔ̃/^[1]

Forms

occasion f (plural occasions)^[1] Occasiun (1174); the form became common only in the 15th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin occāsiō (“favourable moment, opportunity”), from occāsum, supine of occidō (“to fall, set (of the stars)”), from cadō (“to fall”).^{[2][5][3][6][7]} It replaced the inherited Old French ochaison, “achaison” (12th–16th century), often used for an accusation or lawsuit; its “a-” came from association with “accusation”.^[2][5][3][1]

Compare Spanish ocasión and Italian occasione.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence's Vie de saint Thomas (1174) uses occasiun for a reason or cause.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

À l'occasion de “because of” is from about 1462, and, from 1553 “on the subject of, for”.^[2] At the end of the 14th century the word took the sense “opportune circumstance”, which gave par occasion (1606), à l'occasion (1859) and the proverb l'occasion fait le larron (1626), a translation of Medieval Latin occasio facit furem.^[2][5]

In the 19th century it came to mean a bargain (Balzac, 1826), and then the thing bought, marchandises d'occasion (1832) gave the modern sense “second-hand”.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1174 – Occasiun “reason”.^[2]
• c. 1462 – À l'occasion de “because of”.^[2]
• late 14th century – An opportune circumstance.^[2]
• 1626 – L'occasion fait le larron, Sorel.^[2]
• 1826 – A bargain, Balzac.^[2]
• 1832 – Marchandises d'occasion.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. An opportunity, chance: saisir l'occasion, sauter sur l'occasion, à la première occasion.^[8][1]
2. An occasion, circumstance: à l'occasion de son anniversaire, à l'occasion, occasionally.^[2][1]
3. A bargain; a second-hand article: une voiture d'occasion.^[1][5]
4. (dated) Cause, reason: être l'occasion de.^[1][2]

Word family

• occasionnel
• occasionnellement
• occasionner

Related words

• occident
• choir
• Latin occāsiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 296a
8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert