figurativo

Forms

figurativo (feminine figurativa, masculine plural figurativos, feminine plural figurativas)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin figūrātīvus (“figurative”), probably influenced by French figuratif, recorded in the 12th century.^[2][1] Cunha takes it from the French word.^[3] Nascentes analyses it as Latin figūrātus (“figured”) with the suffix -ivo.^[4] The Latin adjective, a late word for the figurative mode of speaking, is formed from figūrō (“to shape, to form”) with -īvus.^[5][1] The French word is itself from the Late Latin one.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss dates the word to the 15th century through the adverb figurativamente, and records the adjective figurativo about 1543.^[2] The old Caldas Aulete quotes Pantaleão de Aveiro's Itinerário on the paschal lamb eaten at the Last Supper as figurativo of the humanity of Christ, that is, a sign prefiguring it.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The first uses are theological: Bluteau explains that scripture scholars called the manna figurativo of the Eucharist, a figure foreshadowing it.^[7] Morais (1813) gives the sense “serving as figure or symbol”, and Vieira adds a map that shows the form of things, carta figurativa.^[8][9] In the arts the adjective now describes work that represents recognisable forms of nature, as opposed to abstract art.^[2][10][11] It is also a noun for an artist who works in that way.^[2][11]

Timeline

• 15th century – the adverb figurativamente.^[2]
• c. 1543 – first record of the adjective figurativo.^[2]
• 16th century – Cunha's century for the word.^[3]
• 1712–1728 – Bluteau explains the manna as figurativo of the Eucharist.^[7]
• 1813 – Morais gives the sense “symbol”.^[8]
• 1871–1874 – Vieira records carta figurativa.^[9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That represents or stands for something; symbolic, representative.^[2][10][12]
2. (art) Representing recognisable forms of nature, as opposed to abstract art (abstrato): pintura figurativa.^[2][10][11]
3. (art) Following the principles of figurativismo (of an artist).^[2][10]
4. escrita figurativa: picture writing, hieroglyphs.^[12]

Noun

1. (art) A figurative artist.^[2][10][11]

Word family

• figurativismo
• figurativamente

Related words

• figura
• figurar
• figurado
• Latin figūrātīvus

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 Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. figurativo
3. ^ a b Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. figura
4. ^ Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. figurativo
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. figurativus
6. ^ Aulete, Francisco Júlio Caldas, Dicionário contemporâneo da língua portuguesa (1st ed. 1881), online as Aulete Digital, Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, https://aulete.com.br, p. s.v. figurativo
7. ^ a b Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. figurativo
8. ^ a b Silva, António de Morais (1813), Diccionario da lingua portugueza, 2nd ed., 2 vols., Lisboa: Typographia Lacerdina, p. 2, 32
9. ^ a b Vieira, Frei Domingos (1871–1874), Grande Diccionario Portuguez ou Thesouro da lingua portugueza, 5 vols., Porto: Ernesto Chardron e Bartholomeu H. de Moraes, p. 3, 674
10. ^ a b c d e Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. figurativo
11. ^ a b c d Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. figurativo
12. ^ a b Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa, Lisboa: Priberam Informática, https://dicionario.priberam.org, p. s.v. figurativo