scansion

Forms

scansion f (plural scansions)^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin scānsiō (“climbing, ascending scale of sounds”), a word of the Latin grammarians, formed on the supine of scandō (“to climb, to scan verse”).^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The TLFi gives the grammarians' sense as “rising scale of sounds”, and the DHLF the literal sense “climbing”.^[3][4][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1741, in Simon Pelloutier's Histoire des Celtes, for the act or manner of scanning verse.^[3][9] The DHLF and GLLF date it about 1750, after the Dictionnaire de Trévoux of 1752.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its sense in versification.^[4][7] Marmontel, at the end of the 18th century, used scandaison, a form derived from scander.^[4] In medicine, after parole scandée (1904), scansion was taken up in 1933 for a speech disorder in which syllables are detached or certain syllables are given too much stress.^[5][4][3] It is also used more broadly for the strong marking of a rhythm in music, chanting or movement.^[3][6]

Timeline

• 1741 – Simon Pelloutier uses it in his Histoire des Celtes.^[3]
• 1752 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux records it.^[5]
• late 18th century – Marmontel uses the derivative scandaison.^[4]
• 1904 – Parole scandée is recorded in medicine.^[5][4]
• 1933 – Larousse records the medical sense of scansion.^[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (prosody) The act or manner of scanning verse.^[9][3][6]
2. The strong marking of a rhythm in speech, chanting or movement.^[3][6]
3. (pathology) A speech disorder in which syllables are detached or certain ones over-stressed.^[9][5]

Related words

• scander
• Latin scānsiō

References

1. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 283a
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert