relativité

Forms

relativité f (usually uncountable, plural relativités)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French relatif + -ité.^[2][1][3][4] The adjective relatif is from Late Latin relātīvus, a Late Latin adjective of relātiō in its philosophical sense.^[3] The sense in physics follows the relative motions of systems of reference.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1805 in the Annales de chimie, for the quality of what is relative: our antipodes do not fall off the globe, the writer says, “because of relativity”.^[2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Used first in the sciences and in philosophy, it was applied in particular to the limits of human knowledge, as in Amiel's relativité de nos connaissances (1866).^[2][5]

In physics principe de relativité is found in 1910, while from 1915 the word names the theories founded on Einstein's work from 1905 onwards.^[2][5] Einstein's two stages are called relativité restreinte and relativité généralisée, recorded in 1932.^[5][4] The dates differ for this sense: the GLLF gives 1922 (Langevin) and the FEW 1923;^[7] Quemada notes that the date 1905 given by one dictionary is a mistake.^[7]

Timeline

• 1805 – First recorded in the Annales de chimie.^[2][3]
• 1866 – Amiel writes of the relativité de nos connaissances.^[2][5]
• 1910 – Principe de relativité appears in a note to the Academy of Sciences.^[2]
• 1915 – Principe de la relativité d'Einstein in the Mercure de France.^[2][5]
• 1922 – Langevin uses théorie de la relativité.^[4][7]
• 1932 – Relativité restreinte and relativité généralisée are recorded.^[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. The quality of being relative, of depending on something else.^[6][8][9]
2. (philosophy) The character of human knowledge, which grasps only relations or depends on the mind that knows: la relativité de la connaissance.^[6][2][8]
3. (physics) relativity, Einstein's theories on the relation of physical laws to motion, relativité restreinte and relativité généralisée.^[6][9][5]

Related words

• relatif
• relativisme
• relativiste
• Late Latin relātīvus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
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 g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)