occasion French · revision 17093

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1174, Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence, Vie de saint Thomas (occasiun)|origins=la cadō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɔ.ka.zjɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''occasion''' ''f'' (plural occasions)^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Occasiun'' (1174); the form became common only in the 15th century.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|occāsiō|t=favourable moment, opportunity]], from [[m|la|occāsum]], supine of [[m|la|occidō|t=to fall, set (of the stars)]], from [[m|la|cadō|t=to fall]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|7, 296a) It replaced the inherited Old French [[m|fro|ochaison]], “achaison” (12th–16th century), often used for an accusation or lawsuit; its “a-” came from association with “accusation”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[es|ocasión]] and [[it|occasione]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence's ''Vie de saint Thomas'' (1174) uses ''occasiun'' for a reason or cause.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''À l'occasion de'' “because of” is from about 1462, and, from 1553 “on the subject of, for”.^(TLFi) At the end of the 14th century the word took the sense “opportune circumstance”, which gave ''par occasion'' (1606), ''à l'occasion'' (1859) and the proverb ''l'occasion fait le larron'' (1626), a translation of Medieval Latin ''occasio facit furem''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In the 19th century it came to mean a bargain (Balzac, 1826), and then the thing bought, ''marchandises d'occasion'' (1832) gave the modern sense “second-hand”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1174 – ''Occasiun'' “reason”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1462 – ''À l'occasion de'' “because of”.^(TLFi)

+ * late 14th century – An opportune circumstance.^(TLFi)

+ * 1626 – ''L'occasion fait le larron'', Sorel.^(TLFi)

+ * 1826 – A bargain, Balzac.^(TLFi)

+ * 1832 – ''Marchandises d'occasion''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|opportunity]], chance: ''saisir l'occasion'', ''sauter sur l'occasion'', ''à la première occasion''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An occasion, circumstance: ''à l'occasion de son anniversaire'', ''à l'occasion'', occasionally.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|bargain]]; a second-hand article: ''une voiture d'occasion''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(dated)'' Cause, reason: ''être l'occasion de''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[occasionnel]]

+ * [[occasionnellement]]

+ * [[occasionner]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[occident]]

+ * [[choir]]

+ * [[la|occāsiō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}