habitacle

English

Etymology

From Middle English habitacle, from Middle French habitacle, from Latin habitāculum (“dwelling place”). See binnacle, habit (verb), inhabit.

Noun

habitacle (plural habitacles)

1. (obsolete) A dwelling or habitation.

Translations

a dwelling or habitation

• Catalan: habitacle (ca)
• Spanish: habitáculo (es)

Trivia

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has (under various names) been the ultimate governing body for most motorsport worldwide, since it was formed with that intention by international agreement in 1904. The primary language for the worldwide regulations is therefore French, which is then translated into other languages. The overarching document is the FIA Code Sportif International (International Sporting Code) and its many appendices. The French originals mention, on several occasions, for both single-seater racing cars and conventional cars, a vehicle's habitacle. As you can seen below, that French word includes the automotive sense of passenger compartment. However, for a long period in the late 20th century, they translated it to the English habitacle which, as you can see above, does not. (And if any non-FIA publications have used it in that sense, that has not yet been noticed by Wiktionarians, so since the usage appears to be by one "author" only, in one set of documents, it doesn't qualify for a formal definition here.) As of 2024, the FIA now translate the French habitacle as cockpit, which is the most appropriate word for single-seat racers, and is at least understandable for conventional vehicles.

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin habitāculum. Doublet of bitàcola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ə.βiˈta.klə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ə.biˈta.klə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [a.biˈta.kle]

Noun

habitacle m (plural habitacles)

1. dwelling, abode
   • 2022, Maria Carme Roca i Costa, Katalepsis:

     Només sé que han estat els cabrons de l'Alexis i l'Edu que m'han entaforat en un habitacle petitíssim on no em puc ni moure.

     I only know that it was those bastards Alexi and Edu who crammed me into a tiny abode where I can't even move.

Related terms

• habitacular

Further reading

• “habitacle” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “habitacle” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin habitāculum.

Pronunciation

• ^{(mute h)} IPA^(key): /a.bi.takl/

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

Noun

habitacle m (plural habitacles)

1. (literary) habitation, dwelling
2. (nautical) binnacle
3. (aviation, motor racing) cockpit
4. (automotive) passenger compartment

Further reading

• “habitacle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.