télégramme

Forms

télégramme m (plural télégrammes)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French télé- (“far”) + -gramme (“writing”).^[2][3][4][5] The first element goes back to Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “far off”), and the second to γράμμα (grámma, “letter, written character”), from γράφω (gráphō, “to write”).^[6][7][8] Rey takes the first element as a shortening of télégraphe.^[4] Bloch and Wartburg take the second element from the Greek word in its sense “letter”.^[9]

The TLFi compares English telegram, recorded in English in 1852,^[2] and the Wiktionnaire takes the French word from that English one.^[10] Etymonline reports that the English word was introduced in an Albany newspaper in April 1852 and was attacked by purists, who would have preferred telegrapheme.^[11]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, in Mozin and Peschier's dictionary (1859, then its 1863 supplement), already has the sense “message sent by telegraph”.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to the age of the electric télégraphe.^[4] It was later applied to messages sent by radiotelegraphy (also called radiotélégramme) and even by téléphone, and by metonymy to the dispatch itself, to the sheet on which the text is written and to the news it carries.^[4][2] Specialized uses followed: télégramme de presse (1896) and télégramme météorologique (1907).^[2][7] Rey notes that the link with télégramme kept derivatives of télégraphe such as télégraphier and télégraphiste in use longer than the noun télégraphe itself.^[4]

Timeline

• 1852 – The English word telegram appears.^[2][11]
• 1859 – Télégramme “telegraphic message” is recorded by Mozin and Peschier.^[2][3][7]
• 1863 – It appears in the supplement to Mozin and Peschier's dictionary.^[2]
• 1896 – First record of télégramme de presse.^[2]
• 1907 – Télégrammes météorologiques are recorded in the Nouveau Larousse illustré.^[2][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A telegram: a message sent by telegraph, by radiotelegraphy or by telephone.^[5][2]
2. The content of such a message, or the printed form on which it is delivered to the addressee: ouvrir un télégramme.^[2][5]
3. Télégramme de presse: a telegram whose text is meant to be published in a newspaper.^[7][2]
4. Télégramme météorologique: a telegram from an official weather service with observations or forecasts.^[7]

Related words

• télégraphe
• gramme
• English telegram

Usage notes

The Petit Robert gives câblogramme and dépêche as older near-synonyms.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ 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. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
9. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
10. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com