série

Forms

série f (plural séries)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin seriēs (“row, chain, unbroken succession; line of descendants”), first used in French as a term of mathematics in 1715.^[2][3][4] The Latin noun is derived from serō (“to plait, join together”), which Rey connects within Latin with sermō and sors; links with other Indo-European languages remain hypothetical.^[3][2] Littré compared Ancient Greek σειρά (seirá, “rope”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Varignon uses it in 1715 in the Mémoires of the Académie royale des sciences for infinite series in mathematics, discussing Jakob Bernoulli's theses.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Diderot extended it to any set sequence of things of the same kind (1767–1768), and it was used in zoology for a classification (1798).^[2][3] In sport it named a group of players or competitors in a qualifying round (1859), a run of points at billiards (1875) and a grade of ranking (1905).^[3]

Série noire “a run of misfortunes” is recorded in 1895, and en série “in large numbers of identical objects” in 1903, as in fabrication en série; in electricity en série (1881) translates English.^[3] In the 20th century it was used in boxing for a quick run of blows (1921), in radio and television for a programme in episodes, and in music for the twelve-tone row.^[3]

Timeline

• 1715 – Varignon uses it in mathematics.^[2][4]
• 1767–1768 – Diderot uses it for a succession of impressions.^[2]
• 1798 – The Académie records it in natural history.^[6][3]
• 1859 – A group of competitors in sport.^[3]
• 1881 – En série in electricity.^[3]
• 1895 – Série noire.^[3]
• 1903 – En série of mass production.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A series, a succession or set of things of the same kind: une série de questions, une série de timbres.^[7][2][1]
2. (mathematics) The sum of the terms of a sequence: série convergente, série divergente.^[7][1]
3. En série: in large numbers of identical units (fabrication en série); (electricity) connected end to end.^[3][8]
4. Hors série: out of the ordinary, un hors-série, a special issue of a periodical.^[3]
5. Série noire: a run of misfortunes.^[3]
6. A television or radio serial, a story in episodes.^[1][3]
7. (sport) A heat or qualifying group; a category in a ranking.^[3][6]
8. A division of a forest, a grade of goods, or another subdivision in a classification.^[6][5]

Word family

• sérier
• sériel
• hors-série

Related words

• Latin seriēs

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF