thématique

Forms

thématique (plural thématiques)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek θεματικός (thematikós, “serving as a grammatical stem”), from θέμα (théma) (see thème).^[2][3][1] The GLLF also gives the Greek sense “done for a prize offered”.^[4] When borrowed it had the old sense “relating to a subject developed in a speech”.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Amyot uses it in his translation of Plutarch's Œuvres morales (1572) in the sense “relating to the theme”; this use stayed isolated until the 19th century.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Its modern senses come from the 19th century: in music from 1836, when the Académie records the catalogue thématique listing the opening bars of each piece;^[2][5] in grammar from 1872, of the stem of a word, with voyelle thématique in Marouzeau (1933).^[2][5] In literary criticism analyse thématique (1927) studies the imaginary world of an author.^[2] Philosophy took it in 1962 for what is set up as an object of thought, and linguistics in 1970 for a word tied to one field of thought.^[2]

As a feminine noun, la thématique (1936) is the organized set of themes in a work or an author;^[2][6][5] L. Cons apologized for the “heavy neologism”.^[2][6][5]

Timeline

• 1572 – Amyot uses it of a theme.^[2][3]
• 1836 – The Académie records catalogue thématique in music.^[2][4]
• 1872 – Littré records the grammatical sense.^[2][4]
• 1927 – Analyse thématique appears in literary criticism.^[2][5]
• 1933 – Marouzeau has voyelle thématique.^[2]
• 1936 – First use as a noun, in L. Cons.^[2][6]
• 1962 – Foulquié records the philosophical sense.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Relating to a theme or a set subject; organized by themes, as a thematic television channel opposed to a general one.^[2][7][8]
2. (literature) Analyse thématique, critique thématique: criticism that studies the recurring themes in a writer's work.^[2][7]
3. (music) Relating to musical themes: catalogue thématique, listing the opening bars of each piece.^[9][7][8]
4. (linguistics) Relating to the stem of a word: voyelle thématique.^[9][7][8]
5. (philosophy) Set up, or setting itself up, as the object of mental activity.^[2][7]

Noun

1. The organized set of themes developed by an artist, a writer or a school.^[2][8]
2. (music) The themes that form the basic material of a piece.^[8]

Word family

• athématique
• thématiser

Related words

• thème
• English thematic

References

1. ^ a b c 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 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette