productif

Forms

productif (feminine productive, masculine plural productifs, feminine plural productives)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French produire + -if as a learned derivative, built on the stem of Latin productum, the supine of prōdūcō (“to lead forth, to produce”).^[2][3][4] Wiktionary also allows a learned borrowing of Late Latin productīvus.^[1] Bloch and Wartburg point out that Latin productīvus had other senses, unconnected with those of the French word.^[5]

Cognate with Occitan productiu, Spanish productivo and Italian produttivo.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first records, in the works of Chastellain (before 1475), use it of what gives rise to, causes or brings about something:^[2][3] the Temple de Bocace (1463–1464) speaks of division and hatred as the cause productive of a change.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The word was rare until the second half of the 18th century.^[3][5][8] It then came to mean “producing concrete objects or works” (1763), and turned towards economics: it described what yields a better return or output (1768) and, specifically, those who work at producing goods (1770).^[2][3]

Its derivative productivité (1766) became a key term of economics in the 19th and 20th centuries;^[3][5] improductif followed in 1785.^[5] In linguistics it is used of a process of word formation that yields many new words.^[4][9]

Timeline

• 1463–1464 – Chastellain writes of a cause productive in the Temple de Bocace.^[7]
• 1470 – The Livre de la discipline d'amour divine uses it of what is able to produce.^[4]
• 1763 – Marmontel writes of arts productifs, arts that produce works.^[2]
• 1766 – The derivative productivité is recorded.^[5][3]
• 1768 – Dupont de Nemours writes of dépenses productives, spending that raises output.^[2]
• 1770 – Galiani's Dialogues name a classe productive of people who produce goods.^[2]
• 1785 – The negative improductif appears.^[5]
• 1972 – The linguistic sense is recorded, for the derivative productivité.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That produces or creates something, or gives a good yield: sol productif, fertile soil.^[9][10][2]
2. (economics) Directly connected with production: capital productif d'intérêts, capital that earns interest.^[9][10]
3. (law) Having a given legal effect: a contract productif d'obligations creates obligations.^[9]
4. (linguistics) Of a stem or word-forming element, giving rise to many new words.^[9][4]
5. (philosophy) Of a cause, producing an effect.^[9]

Related words

• produire
• production
• producteur
• produit
• Latin prōdūcō

References

1. ^ a b c 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 c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)