habitacle

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

habitacle (plural habitacles)

1. (obsolete) A dwelling or habitation.
   • 1537, “The Institution of a Christian Man”, in Formularies of faith put forth by authority during the reign of Henry VIII, published 1825, page 52:

     And I believe assuredly that this congregation, according as it is called in scripture, so it is in very deed the city of heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of all the elect people of God, the only dove, and the only beloved of God, in perfect and everlasting charity, the holy catholic church, the temple or habitacle of God, the pure and undefiled espouse of Christ, the very mystical body of Christ.

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.

Learned borrowing from Late Latin habitāculum. Doublet of bitàcola.

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

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.

• habitacular
• habitar

• “habitacle” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “habitacle”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Borrowed from Late Latin habitāculum.

• ^{(mute h)} IPA^(key): /a.bi.takl/

• Audio (Canada):

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habitacle m (plural habitacles)

1. (literary) habitation, dwelling
2. (nautical) binnacle
3. (aviation, motor racing) cockpit
4. (automotive) passenger compartment
   • 2024, Alain Damasio, Vallée du silicium, Paris: Seuil, →ISBN, page 45:

     Rien que pour commander la voiture, attendre car aucune n'est dispo, s'arrêter prendre du pain durant le trajet, repartir, quitter l'habitacle, valider la course, noter, il faudra rester impliqué dans l'appli: appliqué.

     Just to order the car, wait for it because none is available, stop on the way to pick up some bread, resume the trip, leave the compartment, confirm the trip, review it, you have to stay glued to the app: applicated [dedicated, punning on appli].

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