police French · revision 17343

+ {{homograph|1|police force}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1250, Douai (pollice)|origins=grc πόλις}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pɔ.lis/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''police''' ''f'' (plural polices)^(Wiktionary)

+ First written ''pollice''; the form ''policie'', from the Latin word stressed on its suffix, was used from the 14th century to the 18th (Rousseau still writes ''politie'').^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The police is [[bor|la-lat|polītīa|t=political organization, government]], which Cicero had already used for Plato's “Republic”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|9, 130a) The Latin word is from [[grc|πολιτεία|tr=politeía|t=citizenship; the body of citizens; constitution]], from [[m|grc|πόλις|tr=pólis|t=city]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1250 as ''pollice'' in a document from Douai, meaning a set of regulations, Oresme has ''police'' in 1365 for good order and good administration.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ At first partly a synonym of ''politique'', it meant the good order of the state, then the government of a town (1426) and the order kept in any society (1636); for the wider sense of government it gave way to ''politique''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The modern use came in the late 16th and early 17th centuries: the rules for the safety and comfort of a town's or state's inhabitants (1584, ''Messieurs de la Police'', Nicot, 1606), and, from 1651 the body of officers who keep public order.^(BHVF)^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Gens de police'' is in Molière (1660), and a ''lieutenant de police'' was created in 1667; the Revolution brought ''police correctionnelle'' (1791), and the army has had its ''salle de police'' since 1825.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Police militaire'' (1945) is a calque of American ''military police''.^(DHLF 1992) In Quebec, after English, ''une police'' is also a police officer.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ English ''policy'' “government, management” comes from Old French ''policie''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1250 – ''Pollice'' “regulation”, at Douai.^(TLFi)

+ * 1365 – ''Police'' “good order”, in Oresme.^(TLFi)

+ * 1426 – The administration of a town.^(TLFi)

+ * 1606 – Nicot defines the rules of a state.^(TLFi)

+ * 1651 – The body that keeps public order, in Scarron.^(TLFi)

+ * 1667 – ''Lieutenant de police''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1797 – ''Agent de police''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1945 – ''Police militaire''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|police]]: ''police judiciaire'', ''agent de police'', ''appeler la police''.^(Le Robert)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(law)'' The rules and powers for keeping public order: ''pouvoirs de police'', ''police de la circulation''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(law)'' ''Tribunal de police'', ''simple police'': the courts for petty offences.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Faire la police'': to keep order.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(military)'' ''Salle de police'': the guardroom where soldiers serve short detentions.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(Quebec, familiar)'' A police officer.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Government, political organization.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[policer]]

+ * [[policé]]

+ * [[policier]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|insurance policy}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1371|origins=gkm ἀπόδειξις}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pɔ.lis/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''police''' ''f'' (plural polices)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The insurance policy is [[bor|it|polizza|t=certificate; contract; bill of lading]], from [[la-med|apodixa|t=receipt]], from [[gkm|ἀπόδειξις|tr=apódeixis|t=receipt]], in Ancient Greek “proof”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)^(FEW|25, 15b) The senses were borrowed one after another, Old Occitan “podissa” “receipt” comes straight from the Medieval Latin.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The Italian word also gave [[ca|pòlissa]] and [[es|póliza]].^(REW 1935) Littré's derivation from a Late Latin “polyptychum” “register” is no longer accepted.^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in 1371 meaning a [[m|en|certificate]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “contract” dates from the 16th century, when Henri Estienne noted it as Italian, ''police de chargement'' “bill of lading” is found in 1606, and ''police d'assurance'' in 1673.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) In printing a ''police'' is the full assortment of type of one design, a use now carried over to computer fonts.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1371 – “Certificate”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 16th century – “Contract”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1606 – ''Police de chargement''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1673 – ''Police d'assurance''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An insurance [[m|en|policy]]: ''souscrire une police d'assurance''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(printing, computing)'' ''Police de caractères'': a [[m|en|font]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(dated, shipping)'' ''Police de chargement'': a [[m|en|bill of lading]].^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[politique]]

+ * [[grc|πόλις|tr=pólis]]

+ * [[en|policy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}