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parabolique

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Etymology and origin of the French word parabolique

parabolique1 of a parable

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1500 Roman des trois pèlerinages
Borrowed from
Latin parabolicus
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek παραβολή

Pronunciation

  • /pa.ʁa.bɔ.lik/[1]

Forms

parabolique (plural paraboliques)[1]

Etymology

The word for “of a parable” is borrowed from Late Latin parabolicus, recorded in Christian Latin of the 4th century,[2][3][4] which is from Ancient Greek παραβολικός (parabolikós, “fit to serve as a comparison”), from παραβολή (parabolḗ).[2][3][5] It corresponds to parabole1 (“parable”).[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is from the early 16th century, in the Roman des trois pèlerinages.[2] Littré quotes a 14th-century text: Leurs mots sont divers et obliques Et sentences paraboliques, and the DHLF notes that the adverb paraboliquement, of 1450, suggests the adjective already existed in the 15th century.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

It has always been rare and literary, used mostly of a way of speaking: a parabolic teaching, prophecy or saying.[2] The older sense “having the nature of a parable or allegory” is marked as obsolete by the GLLF, which quotes Bossuet's prophéties obscures et paraboliques;[7][5] poésie parabolique was Bacon's name for the allegories and myths of antiquity.[7]

Timeline

  • 14th century – Sentences paraboliques in a poem quoted by Littré.[5]
  • 1450 – The adverb paraboliquement.[3]
  • c. 1500 – First record in the TLFi, in the Roman des trois pèlerinages.[2][4]
  • 1893 – The Dictionnaire général records the sense “relating to a parable”.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (rare) Relating to a parable, or using parables: un récit parabolique.[6][2]
  2. (dated) Having the nature of a parable or an allegory.[5][7]

Word family

  • paraboliquement

parabolique2 of a parabola

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1571 Magie naturelle
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek παραβολή
Etymology tree of parabolique2
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek παρά (pará)
Ancient Greek παραβάλλω (parabállō)
Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ)
Latin parabola
Italian parola
Romanian paraulă
Spanish palabra
English parable
English parabola
French parabole
French parabolique
Spanish parábola
From the same root · parabolique2
Ancient Greek παράδοξος (parádoxos) ← παρά
Ancient Greek παράλληλος (parállēlos) ← παρά
Ancient Greek παράσιτος (parásitos) ← παρά
Ancient Greek παράφερνα (parápherna) ← παρά
Ancient Greek πάρειμι (páreimi) ← παρά
Ancient Greek πάροικος (pároikos) ← παρά
English paradox ← παρά
English paranoia ← παρά
English parasite ← παρά
English parenthesis ← παρά
English parole ← παραβολή
Latin parabolō ← parabola

Pronunciation

  • /pa.ʁa.bɔ.lik/[1]

Forms

parabolique (plural paraboliques)[1]

Etymology

The word for “of a parabola” is formed from French parabole2 + -ique.[2][6][4] The noun for the curve was borrowed in 1555 from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ, “comparison, juxtaposition”), specialized in mathematics for the curve.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as a term of geometry in 1571, in the Magie naturelle.[2][4][6] The Grand Robert holds that the date of about 1505 sometimes given for it belongs to parabolique “of a parable”; the GLLF still dates the geometric sense from it.[4][7]

Semantic evolution

From geometry it passed into optics and physics, with miroir parabolique in 1671, and into everyday use for anything shaped roughly like a parabola (1755, in the Encyclopédie).[2][3] Later uses include mouvement parabolique (1875) and branche parabolique (1932).[7]

In the 20th century a radiateur parabolique (1935), or simply un parabolique, was a heater with a parabolic reflector,[6] and the antenne parabolique receives television from satellites.[6][8] In the French of the Maghreb such a dish is une parabolique, and a person who has one is parabolé.[3]

Timeline

  • 1571 – First record as a term of geometry.[2]
  • 1671 – Miroir parabolique in Pomey.[2][7]
  • 1732 – The adverb paraboliquement in the geometric sense.[6]
  • 1755 – The Encyclopédie uses it for a roughly parabolic shape.[2][3]
  • 1935 – Radiateur parabolique.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (geometry) Relating to a parabola: une courbe parabolique;[2][6] branche parabolique, a branch of a plane curve without an asymptote whose points go off to infinity.[2][6]
  2. Shaped like a parabola: miroir parabolique.[6][9][8]
  3. (botany) Of a leaf or petal: rounded at the tip and widening from there.[2]
  4. Antenne parabolique: a dish aerial receiving programmes relayed by satellite.[6][9][8]

Noun

  1. Un parabolique: a heater with a parabolic reflector.[6][9]

Word family

  • paraboliquement

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

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Parabolique.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/parabolique. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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