police

police¹ police force

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pɔ.lis/^[1]

Forms

police f (plural polices)^[1] First written pollice; the form policie, from the Latin word stressed on its suffix, was used from the 14th century to the 18th (Rousseau still writes politie).^[2][3]

Etymology

The police is borrowed from Late Latin polītīa (“political organization, government”), which Cicero had already used for Plato's “Republic”.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin word is from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “citizenship; the body of citizens; constitution”), from πόλις (pólis, “city”).^[2][3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1250 as pollice in a document from Douai, meaning a set of regulations, Oresme has police in 1365 for good order and good administration.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

At first partly a synonym of politique, it meant the good order of the state, then the government of a town (1426) and the order kept in any society (1636); for the wider sense of government it gave way to politique.^[3][2] The modern use came in the late 16th and early 17th centuries: the rules for the safety and comfort of a town's or state's inhabitants (1584, Messieurs de la Police, Nicot, 1606), and, from 1651 the body of officers who keep public order.^[7][2][3]

Gens de police is in Molière (1660), and a lieutenant de police was created in 1667; the Revolution brought police correctionnelle (1791), and the army has had its salle de police since 1825.^[2][3] Police militaire (1945) is a calque of American military police.^[3] In Quebec, after English, une police is also a police officer.^[3][1]

English policy “government, management” comes from Old French policie.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1250 – Pollice “regulation”, at Douai.^[2]
• 1365 – Police “good order”, in Oresme.^[2]
• 1426 – The administration of a town.^[2]
• 1606 – Nicot defines the rules of a state.^[2]
• 1651 – The body that keeps public order, in Scarron.^[2]
• 1667 – Lieutenant de police.^[2]
• 1797 – Agent de police.^[2]
• 1945 – Police militaire.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The police: police judiciaire, agent de police, appeler la police.^[9][10]
2. (law) The rules and powers for keeping public order: pouvoirs de police, police de la circulation.^[10]
3. (law) Tribunal de police, simple police: the courts for petty offences.^[10][11]
4. Faire la police: to keep order.^[3]
5. (military) Salle de police: the guardroom where soldiers serve short detentions.^[10][2]
6. (Quebec, familiar) A police officer.^[1][3]
7. (archaic) Government, political organization.^[10][2]

Word family

• policer
• policé
• policier

police² insurance policy

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pɔ.lis/^[1]

Forms

police f (plural polices)^[1]

Etymology

The insurance policy is borrowed from Italian polizza (“certificate; contract; bill of lading”), from Medieval Latin apodixa (“receipt”), from Byzantine Greek ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis, “receipt”), in Ancient Greek “proof”.^{[4][6][10][12][13]} The senses were borrowed one after another, Old Occitan “podissa” “receipt” comes straight from the Medieval Latin.^[4] The Italian word also gave Catalan pòlissa and Spanish póliza.^[14] Littré's derivation from a Late Latin “polyptychum” “register” is no longer accepted.^[15][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1371 meaning a certificate.^[4][6]

Semantic evolution

The sense “contract” dates from the 16th century, when Henri Estienne noted it as Italian, police de chargement “bill of lading” is found in 1606, and police d'assurance in 1673.^[4][10] In printing a police is the full assortment of type of one design, a use now carried over to computer fonts.^[2][10]

Timeline

• 1371 – “Certificate”.^[4]
• 16th century – “Contract”.^[4][6]
• 1606 – Police de chargement.^[4]
• 1673 – Police d'assurance.^[4][10]

Meanings

Noun

1. An insurance policy: souscrire une police d'assurance.^[10][12]
2. (printing, computing) Police de caractères: a font.^[10][12]
3. (dated, shipping) Police de chargement: a bill of lading.^[2]

Related words

• politique
• Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis)
• English policy

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 q r 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 i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 130a
6. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
12. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
13. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 15b
14. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
15. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette