paramilitaire

Forms

paramilitaire (plural paramilitaires)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French para- + militaire.^[2][1][3] Bloch and Wartburg describe the first element as the Greek preposition Ancient Greek παρά (pará, “beside”).^[4] Its second element comes from Latin mīlitāris, from mīles (“soldier”).^[4] Leo Spitzer studied it in 1941 as a French neologism.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi first records it in the Larousse mensuel of 1934; the GLLF cites Le Matin of 8 December 1935, and Bloch and Wartburg give about 1935.^[2][5][4] The Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and Rey date it to about 1920.^[6][7][8]

Semantic evolution

It describes organizations that are not part of a regular army but borrow its structure, discipline and methods, such as militias.^[8][2] The TLFi's quotations apply it to the armed formations of fascist parties.^[2] It is also used as a noun for a member of such a group.^[9][1]

Timeline

• c. 1920 – Date given by the Petit Robert and the DHLF.^[7][8]
• 1934 – Recorded in the Larousse mensuel.^[2]
• 1935 – Found in Le Matin on 8 December.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a civilian force or organization outside the regular army: organized, equipped and trained like an army: une formation paramilitaire, des groupes paramilitaires.^[7][2][3][9]

Noun

1. A member of a paramilitary organization, a paramilitary.^[9][1]

Related words

• militaire
• milice
• Latin mīles

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)