public

Pronunciation

• IPA: /py.blik/^[1]

Forms

public (feminine publique, masculine plural publics, feminine plural publiques)^[1] Old French publique for both genders (1238); peuplique and puplique after Latin poplicus.^[2][3] The masculine public appears at the end of the 15th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin pūblicus (“of the people or the State; of common use, common to all”).^{[3][2][5][6][7][1]} The Latin adjective goes with populus (“people”) (see peuple); the TLFi, after Ernout and Meillet, holds that there is no etymological link, while Rey suggests a crossing of an unrecorded “*pūbicus”, from pūbēs (“adult men”), with the archaic poplicus.^[3][2] The masculine “public” was drawn from “publique”, which served for both genders until the 17th century.^[3][5] The noun is the adjective used as a noun.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

A 1238 Walloon document has paix et utilité publique, of what concerns the people as a whole.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Bien publique is found in 1362 and la chose publique, a calque of Latin res publica, about 1355.^[3][2][5] About 1330 public meant known to all, in 1390 acting for everyone (notaire publique), and in 1538 common, open to all (place publique).^[3] A femme publique (1539–49) or fille publique (1771) was a prostitute.^[3] Public office and the State came next: charges et fonctions publiques (1585), homme public (1690), the opposition to privé.^[3][2]

As a noun it meant the people in general from the 16th century and the audience of a show from the 17th.^[5] Its use for readers or spectators is dated 1671 in the TLFi, but Quemada's datings find it in 1587.^[3][8]

Timeline

• 1238 – Utilité publique.^[3]
• c. 1355 – La chose publique, Bersuire.^[4]
• 1390 – Notaire publique.^[3]
• 1538 – Place publique, Robert Estienne.^[3]
• 1587 – Le public, the reading public.^[8]
• 1690 – Homme public, Furetière.^[3]
• 1771 – Fille publique.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the people as a whole, of the community: l'intérêt public, l'opinion publique, l'ordre public.^[9][1]
2. Of the State, run by the State, as opposed to privé: le secteur public, l'école publique, la fonction publique.^[3][9]
3. Open to all: jardin public, la voie publique; done before others: une séance publique.^[9][1]
4. Known to all: de notoriété publique, un homme public, one in public life.^[9][1]

Noun

1. The public, people in general: interdit au public, le grand public.^[3][10]
2. An audience, readership or clientele: le public d'un théâtre.^[10][1]
3. En public: in front of others.^[1]
4. (familiar) The public sector: travailler dans le public.^[10]

Word family

• publiquement
• publicité
• publiciste
• semi-public

Related words

• impubliable
• publication
• publier
• république
• peuple
• Latin pūblicus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 506b
8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)