Etymologically
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occasion

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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

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