tonique

Forms

tonique (plural toniques)^[1] First written tonicque (1538); tonique from 1618.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek τονικός (tonikós, “of tension, that can be stretched”), taken as a medical term,^[2][4][5] from τόνος (tónos, “tension”).^[3][5] In Greek the adjective was also used in music and metrics for what concerns pitch and intonation.^[6]

The musical noun and the linguistic sense are felt as derived from ton² in its musical sense;^[6] the TLFi gives it its own article, as a derivative of that noun with the suffix -ique.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Canappe used tonicque in 1538, in his translation of Galen, of living tissues that show tension and elasticity.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Physicians introduced the word for tissues, especially muscles, with an elastic tension; modern medicine relates it to muscle tone and uses it for an abnormal contraction that stiffens the muscles (spasme tonique, 1694).^[6][2] From 1762 it qualified remedies that strengthen the body, and it was used as a noun for such a remedy from 1785;^[2] the figurative “invigorating, stimulating” dates from George Sand (1832).^[2][6] In the 20th century it was applied to lotions that firm the skin (noun 1941),^[2] and eau tonique appeared about 1965, a calque of English tonic water.^[6][2]

In music note tonique (Rameau, 1722) is now old, but the feminine noun la tonique (1762) still names the keynote.^[6][2] Linguistics took up the adjective for the vowel or syllable bearing the stress, accent tonique (1840 in the TLFi, 1842 in the DHLF).^[2][6]

Timeline

• 1538 – Tonicque in Canappe's translation of Galen.^[2]
• 1618 – The spelling tonique, in Guillemeau.^[2][5]
• 1694 – Convulsion tonique and spasme tonique, in Thomas Corneille.^[2]
• 1722 – Note tonique in Rameau's Traité de l'harmonie.^[2]
• 1762 – The Académie has remèdes toniques and the feminine noun of music.^[2]
• 1785 – Used as a noun for a strengthening remedy.^[2]
• 1832 – Figurative sense “invigorating”, in George Sand's Indiana.^[2]
• 1840 – Accent tonique.^[2]
• 1941 – A noun for a skin lotion.^[2][7]
• 1970 – Eau tonique is recorded in the Robert supplement.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (physiology) Relating to muscle tonus; of an abnormal, sustained muscle contraction: convulsion tonique, spasme tonique.^[7][2]
2. Of a person: full of energy.^[7]
3. Of a remedy: that strengthens the body.^[7][2]
4. That firms the skin: lotion tonique.^[7]
5. (figurative) invigorating, stimulating: un air tonique.^[7][2]
6. (phonetics) Bearing the stress: voyelle tonique, accent tonique.^[7][2]
7. (music, dated) Note tonique: the keynote.^[7][2]

Noun

1. (masculine) A tonic, a strengthening remedy, also a skin lotion.^[7][2]
2. (feminine, music) The keynote, the first degree of a scale, which gives its name to the key.^[7][2]

Word family

• protonique

Related words

• ton²
• tonus
• tonic

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 n o p q r s t u v w x y z 27 28 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert