tension

Forms

tension f (plural tensions)^[1] Early spellings include tencion (1490) and tention (1520).^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin tēnsiō (“act or manner of stretching”), which also meant a contraction of the nerves,^[3][2][4][5] formed on tēnsum, the supine of tendō (“to stretch”).^[3][6] It belongs to the family of tendre¹.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It was brought in by physicians: in 1490 Le Guidon en françois lists among the signs of spasm difficulte de mouvement des nombres, tencion et contraction “difficulty in moving the limbs, tension and contraction”.^[2][3] The Anglo-Norman Dictionary has tension “spasm, sensation of tightness” as early as the second quarter of the 13th century.^[7]

Semantic evolution

From the state of a stretched organ or tissue (1520, stiffness in parts of the body) the word passed into general use for any taut, supple thing, such as the strings of musical instruments (1680).^[2][3] In physics it named a force pulling the parts of a body apart, as in tension superficielle, and also pressure (tension de vapeur, 1821).^[3] The medical tension artérielle (1859) comes from this physical sense, not from the old physiological one.^[2][3] Volta used it in 1802 for a difference of electric potential, the sense in haute tension (1897 in Rey, électricité à haute tension, Verne, 1868) and basse tension.^[3][2]

Abstract uses go back to d'Aubigné at the end of the 16th century, for a sustained effort and for opposition or a quarrel.^[3][6] Tension d'esprit, sustained mental effort, is recorded in 1690;^[2][3] Quinet used it in 1836 for a state on the point of breaking, and it was said of relations between states from 1904 and of race relations (tension raciale) from 1963.^[2][3] It also became a term of phonetics in 1910.^[2] The medical compounds hypotension and hypertension date from 1895, and the verb tensionner from about 1950.^[3]

Timeline

• Second quarter of the 13th century – Anglo-Norman tension “spasm, tightness”.^[7]
• 1490 – Tencion in Le Guidon en françois.^[2][3]
• 1520 – Stiffness in parts of the body.^[2][3]
• 1680 – Richelet records the tension of musical strings.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records tension d'esprit.^[2][6]
• 1802 – Volta uses it for a potential difference.^[3]
• 1821 – Tension de vapeur.^[3]
• 1836 – Quinet uses it of a state about to break.^[2]
• 1859 – Tension artérielle.^[2]
• 1862 – Hugo writes tension électrique.^[2]
• 1868 – Verne writes électricité à haute tension.^[2][8]
• 1895 – Hypotension and hypertension.^[3]
• 1904 – Used of strained relations between states.^[2][3]
• 1910 – Roudet uses it as a term of phonetics.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (physiology) The state of a distended tissue or organ.^[9][2]
2. The state of something stretched; tautness: régler la tension d'une chaîne de vélo “to adjust the tension of a bicycle chain”.^[9][10]
3. (physics) A force tending to pull apart the parts of a body;^[9][1] tension superficielle, surface tension.^[9][1]
4. (physics) Pressure;^[9][10] tension de vapeur, vapour pressure.^[9][10]
5. Tension artérielle: blood pressure;^[9][1] prendre la tension de quelqu'un, to take someone's blood pressure.^[9][1]
6. (electricity) Voltage, potential difference;^[1][2][8] haute tension, high voltage.^[1][2][8]
7. Intense, sustained mental effort;^[2][3] tension d'esprit.^[2][3]
8. Strained relations that threaten conflict, between people, groups or states.^[2][3]
9. (phonetics) The muscular effort made in articulating a sound.^[9][2]

Word family

• tensionner
• hypotension
• hypertension

Related words

• tendre¹
• Latin tēnsiō
• English tension

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 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 r s t u Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/1, 225b
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 Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
8. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette