octogone

Forms

octogone m (plural octogones)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin octogonum (“octagon”), a neuter noun made from the Late Latin adjective octogonos (“eight-angled”), which was taken from Ancient Greek ὀκτάγωνος (oktágōnos, “eight-angled”).^[2][3][4] Bloch and Wartburg explain the Latin ⟨o⟩ as an alteration of octagonos after octō (“eight”).^[5] The Greek word is formed from ὀκτώ (oktṓ, “eight”) and γωνία (gōnía, “angle, corner”).^[3][6][7]

Picoche places it in the learned family of huit, beside octaèdre, octogénaire and octosyllabe.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as a noun in 1484, in N. Chuquet's Géométrie, for the polygon with eight angles.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it has kept its geometrical sense since the 15th century.^[3] From 1547 it was also used as an adjective, un temple octogone “an octagonal temple”, but its derivative octogonal (1520) gradually took over that use, and the adjective is now dated.^[2][3] In fortification it named a work with eight bastioned fronts, recorded by Furetière in 1690.^[6][9]

The English word octogon (1650s) was taken from the French word, beside the commoner octagon from Latin.^[10]

Timeline

• 1484 – N. Chuquet uses the noun in his Géométrie.^[2]
• 1520 – E. de La Roche uses the noun in his arithmetic, the date Bloch and Wartburg give for the word.^[6][5]
• 1547 – J. Martin's translation of Serlio uses it as an adjective, un Temple octogone.^[2]
• 1650s – English borrows it as octogon.^[10]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “fortification with eight fronts”.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (geometry) An octagon, a polygon with eight angles and eight sides: un octogone régulier.^[2][11][12]
2. (fortification) A work of octagonal plan, with eight bastions.^[11][6][4]
3. A piece of gymnasium apparatus made of stacked octagonal platforms.^[11]

Adjective

1. (dated) Octagonal: un pavillon octogone.^[2][11][4]

Word family

• octogonal

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
8. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
12. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)