pornographique

Forms

pornographique (plural pornographiques)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French pornographie + -ique, according to the TLFi and Wiktionary;^[2][1] Rey describes it as a change of suffix in pornographie,^[3] while the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert derive it from pornographe.^[4][5] That noun is from Ancient Greek πορνογράφος (pornográphos, “writer about prostitution”), compounded of πόρνη (pórnē, “prostitute”) and the element of γράφω (gráphō, “to write”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi dates it to 1832, in Raymond's dictionary; the GLLF and the Grand Robert give 1835 and the Petit Robert 1842.^[2][6][4][5] Rey notes that it had its present sense from the start.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Its base words were older: pornographe first appeared in 1769 as the title of a work by Restif de La Bretonne, meaning a writer on prostitution, and pornographie first meant a treatise on prostitution (1800).^[2][3] The adjective, by contrast, always referred to obscene writing and pictures.^[3]

It was clipped in familiar speech to porno before 1893, common in film porno and photo porno.^[3][6][5] Rey observes that these words keep a sense of transgression that sets them against érotique and brings them close to obscène.^[3]

Timeline

• 1769 – Restif de La Bretonne publishes Le Pornographe.^[2][3]
• 1800 – Pornographie is recorded for a treatise on prostitution.^[2]
• 1832 – Pornographique is first recorded, in Raymond's dictionary.^[2][3]
• before 1893 – The clipped form porno appears.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Pornographic: relating to pornography, showing or describing sexual acts in an obscene way: une revue pornographique.^[2][5][1]

Related words

• pornographie
• pornographe
• porno
• pornocratie
• érotique
• obscène

Usage notes

In familiar French it is usually shortened to porno.^[5][6][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse