situation French · revision 16535

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1375, Raoul de Presles|origins=la situs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /si.tɥa.sjɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''situation''' ''f'' (plural situations)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|situer|-ation]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) [[situer]] was borrowed in 1313 from [[la-med|situō|t=to place]], derived from [[la|situs|t=position, site]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Raoul de Presles uses it about 1375 for the position of the stars; the TLFi's first dated record is Jean Wauquelin's ''Girard de Roussillon'' (1447), for the site of a building.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The concrete sense “site, location” was followed in the 17th century by the abstract sense: the circumstances of a country (Bouhours, 1676), of things (La Rochefoucauld, before 1680) and of a person (Boisguilbert, 1695).^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) In drama it named a critical moment of the action (1718), whence ''comique de situation'' (1876).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) ''Être en situation de'' “to be in a position to” dates from 1714.^(TLFi) A ''situation'' became a job, a steady paid position, in Zola (1873), and ''être dans une situation intéressante'' “to be expecting a child” (1872) is a calque of English ''to be in an interesting condition''.^(TLFi)^(BHVF) The ''situationnistes'' (1958) gave the word a political sense.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1375 – The position of the stars, Raoul de Presles.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1447 – The site of a building.^(TLFi)

+ * 1676 – The circumstances of a country, Bouhours.^(TLFi)

+ * 1695 – The circumstances of a person, Boisguilbert.^(TLFi)

+ * 1714 – ''Être en situation de''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1718 – A dramatic situation, Académie.^(TLFi)

+ * 1872 – ''Situation intéressante''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1873 – A job, Zola.^(BHVF)

+ * 1958 – ''Situationniste''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Position, [[m|en|location]] of a place or building: ''la situation d'une maison''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # A [[m|en|situation]], the circumstances one is in: ''une situation délicate'', ''être maître de la situation''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # Position, state of affairs: ''la situation politique'', ''situation financière''.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+ # A job, steady position: ''avoir une belle situation''.^(Larousse)^(BHVF)

+ # ''(theatre)'' A dramatic moment in the action: ''comique de situation''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Être en situation de'': to be in a position to, ''(dated)'' ''situation intéressante'', pregnancy.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[situationnisme]]

+ * [[situationniste]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[situer]]

+ * [[site]]

+ * [[la|situs]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}