technique

Pronunciation

• IPA: /tɛk.nik/^[1]

Forms

technique (plural techniques)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin technicus (“master of an art”),^[2][3][4] from Ancient Greek τεχνικός (tekhnikós, “of an art; skilful”), from τέχνη (tékhnē, “art, craft, skill”);^[5][2][6][1] the TLFi takes it straight from Greek.^[5] Rey explains that “tékhnē” first expressed the idea of building and belongs to the Indo-European root of Sanskrit तक्षति (takṣati, “he fashions”), Latin texō (“to weave”) and Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn, “carpenter”).^[2]

The modern sense owes something to English technical and “technic”.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bayle (1684–1687) has grammairien technique, one who teaches the principles of grammar, after Quintilian.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

Trévoux (1721) has vers techniques, verses that help memorise rules.^[5][2] The modern sense, “belonging to a specialised field”, appears in the abbé Prévost's Manuel lexique (1750) in termes techniques, after English;^[5][2][7] in the arts it is what concerns method rather than inspiration (1788), and le technique (1744) the technical side of an art.^[5][2] Enseignement technique dates from 1883.^[5]

The feminine noun la technique (1842) is the set of methods of an art or craft (Baudelaire, 1846), and by extension any way of going about something (1908).^[5][2] In the 20th century the adjective was applied to industry and production, and the noun has partly competed with the anglicism technologie since the 1960s.^[2] The derivatives technicien (1836) and techniquement (1790) followed.^[2][6]

Timeline

• 1684–1687 – Grammairien technique in Bayle.^[5]
• 1721 – Vers techniques in Trévoux.^[5]
• 1744 – Le technique.^[5]
• 1750 – Termes techniques in Prévost.^[5]
• 1842 – The noun la technique.^[5]
• 1883 – Enseignement technique.^[5]
• 1905 – La technique du ski.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Technical, belonging to a specialised field: termes techniques.^[3][9]
2. Concerning method or skill rather than inspiration: difficultés techniques.^[3][10]
3. Concerning the practical applications of science: progrès techniques, enseignement technique.^[3][9]
4. Concerning machinery: incident technique.^[10][9]

Noun

1. (feminine) A technique, method: la technique de l'aquarelle.^[10][5]
2. (feminine) Skill, know-how: une bonne technique.^[10]
3. (feminine) Technology, applied science.^[10][1]

Word family

• technicien
• technicité
• techniquement
• technicien
• technicité
• technologie

Related words

• Ancient Greek τέχνη (tékhnē)
• English technique
• English technical

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/1, 149a
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)