Etymologically
Log in

prisme

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the French word prisme

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1609 Dounot's translation of Euclid's Elements More words from the 17th century
Borrowed from
Latin prisma
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek πρίζω
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin prisma
English prism
French prisme

Pronunciation

Forms

prisme m (plural prismes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin prisma, first used in geometry in 1609;[2][3][4] Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the GLLF give 1613.[5][6][7] The Late Latin word was taken from Ancient Greek πρίσμα (prísma, “sawdust, something sawn”), which already meant a polyhedron with regularly cut faces in Euclid.[3][2] The Greek noun is formed on πρίζω (prízō, “to saw”);[5][6][8] Rey calls the verb a technical term with no clear etymology.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1609 in Dounot's French translation of the Elements of Euclid, as the name of a geometrical solid.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The geometrical sense was taken over from Latin: a solid with two equal, parallel faces joined by parallelograms.[3][2] In 1637 Descartes used the word in optics for a transparent prism that bends and breaks up light, and couleurs du prisme is recorded from Buffon in 1783.[2][3][7]

From the optical sense came the figurative one, something that changes, and usually distorts, the picture of reality, as in voir les choses à travers un prisme (Necker, 1775).[2][3] The word is also used in mineralogy for a crystal form with several faces parallel to one line, and in histology for the units of tooth enamel.[3][4]

Timeline

  • 1609 – Dounot uses prisme in his translation of Euclid.[2][3]
  • 1637 – Descartes uses it in optics.[2][3]
  • 1659 – Pascal uses the derivative prismatique.[3]
  • 1690 – Furetière records prisme quadrangulaire.[7]
  • 1775 – Necker writes of seeing things through a prism.[2][3]
  • 1783 – Buffon uses couleurs du prisme.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (geometry) A prism, a polyhedron with two equal parallel bases and parallelogram sides: un prisme triangulaire.[2][4][8]
  2. (mineralogy) A crystal form with several faces parallel to one straight line.[4][3]
  3. (optics) A prism of glass or another transparent material that refracts and breaks up light.[4][9][8]
  4. (figurative) Something that alters or distorts the view of reality: elle juge son frère à travers le prisme de leur enfance.[2][4][9]

Word family

  • prismatique

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Prisme.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/prisme. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·