suprématie

Forms

suprématie f (plural suprématies)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English supremacy,^[2][3][4] derived from the English word supreme, itself borrowed from French suprême,^[3][5] on the model of primacy.^[4] The English word is recorded in 1549 in the oath of the royal supremacy, the primacy of the English sovereign over the Church of England declared in 1534.^[2] The French adjective is from Latin suprēmus.^[1]

Littré, who did not yet know it as a borrowing, took it for a word formed from the adjective on the model of primatie.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1651, in an Abrégé of recent events in England, about the religious and political primacy of the English king.^[2][3] Bossuet used it in 1688 for the Anglican supremacy in his Histoire des variations, where he also took other words from English.^[4][7]

Semantic evolution

From an English historical term it spread to a dominant position in political and religious matters (1686)^[3][8] and to superiority or pre-eminence in general, recorded in 1722 by Piron^[2][9] (the DHLF gives 1721 for an active superiority).^[3] Boiste still called it a barbarism in 1823,^[4] and the wider sense became common in the 19th century,^[4] in politics from 1819.^[3][7] The acte de suprématie is the law of 1534 that made the king head of the Church of England.^[7][10]

Russian suprematism (1915), from the same source as suprême, gave suprématisme, Malevich's theory of painting.^[3]

Timeline

• 1651 – First recorded, of the English sovereign's primacy over the Church.^[2][3]
• 1686 – Used of a dominant position in politics or religion.^[3][8]
• 1688 – Bossuet writes of the Anglican supremacy.^[4][7]
• 1722 – Piron uses it for superiority in general.^[2]
• 1819 – Boiste records the political sense.^[7][3]
• 1823 – Boiste calls it a barbarism.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A dominant position in political, economic or religious matters, hegemony: la suprématie navale d'un pays.^[8][10][11]
2. Superiority, ascendancy of a person or thing over others: exercer sa suprématie sur ses rivaux.^[8][10][11]
3. (history) The primacy of the English sovereign as head of the Anglican Church;^[7][10][6] acte de suprématie, the Act of Supremacy of 1534.^[7][10][6]

Related words

• suprême
• suprématisme
• English supremacy

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)