automobile French · revision 15719

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1861, Annales des ponts et chaussées}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /o.tɔ.mɔ.bil/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ɔ.tɔ.mɔ.bil/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''automobile''' (plural automobiles)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound of [[auto-|t=self]] and [[mobile|t=moving]] (from [[la|mōbilis]]), formed on the model of [[locomobile]], beside the older [[automoteur]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|6/3, 4a) Littré calls it a hybrid word, from Greek [[grc|αὐτός|tr=autós|t=self]] and “mobile”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record (1861, ''Annales des ponts et chaussées'') is an adjective for river gates that move by themselves under the weight of the water^(BHVF)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873); Pierre Larousse's dictionary (1866) and Littré still give only this sense of “self-moving”.^(BHVF)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ With engines fitted to road vehicles, ''voiture automobile'' (1876) launched the word, and the adjective was soon used of the new industry and sport (1895, ''industrie automobile'').^(DHLF 1992) As a noun, ''une automobile'' dates from about 1890–1896; it was sometimes masculine until about 1920.^(BHVF)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992) The clipped ''un auto'' (1896), then ''une auto'', became usual around 1900, and ''automobile'' itself became a technical or formal word beside ''auto'' and ''voiture''.^(DHLF 1992) The adjective ''hippomobile'' (1897) was formed after it.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1861 – Adjective, “moving by itself”, of river gates.^(BHVF)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1866 – Recorded in Larousse's dictionary.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1876 – ''Voiture automobile''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1890–1896 – ''Une automobile'', a motor car.^(BHVF)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * 1896 – ''Un auto''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1897 – ''Hippomobile''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1920 – ''Un automobile'' goes out of use.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(formal, technical)'' A motor [[m|en|car]], an [[m|en|automobile]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The motor industry or motor sport.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Self-propelled: ''canot automobile'', a motorboat.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # Of cars and motoring: ''l'industrie automobile'', ''coureur automobile''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[auto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mobile]]

+ * [[locomobile]]

+ * [[en|automobile]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}