incunable

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incunable, book printed before 1501, incunabular, early printed, earliest work of a field
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/ɛ̃.ky.nabl/
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An object from the earliest stage of a method of making and sharing works.

Examples

  • Les chercheurs analysent ces incunables de la photographie.
    Researchers are analysing these pioneering works of photography.
  • Ils ont étudié une Bible incunable récemment restaurée.
    They studied a recently restored incunabular Bible.
  • Le fonds incunable de cette ville est remarquable.
    The city's incunabular collection is remarkable.
  • La bibliothèque conserve un incunable imprimé à Venise en 1480.
    The library holds an incunable printed in Venice in 1480.
  • Elle collectionne les incunables du cinéma d'animation.
    She collects the earliest works of animated cinema.

Similar words

premier témoin
œuvre pionnière
livre des premiers temps de l'imprimerie
des premiers temps de l'imprimerie

Meanings

Early printed book

noun
book history
technical
A book printed in the West before 1501, during the first decades of European printing.

Examples

  • La bibliothèque conserve un incunable imprimé à Venise en 1480.
    The library holds an incunable printed in Venice in 1480.
  • Cet incunable porte encore les notes de son premier propriétaire.
    This early printed book still bears its first owner's notes.
  • Les incunables sont rangés dans une salle à température contrôlée.
    The incunables are kept in a temperature-controlled room.
  • Un catalogue décrit chaque incunable de la collection.
    A catalogue describes every early printed book in the collection.
  • L'historienne a comparé deux incunables du même texte.
    The historian compared two incunables of the same text.

Similar words

From early printing

adjective
book history
technical
Dating from the first decades of printing in Europe, before 1501.

Examples

  • Cette édition incunable date de la fin du quinzième siècle.
    This incunabular edition dates from the late fifteenth century.
  • Le musée expose plusieurs pages incunables.
    The museum displays several early printed pages.
  • Une impression incunable se reconnaît à certains détails matériels.
    An incunabular printing can be recognized by certain physical details.
  • Le fonds incunable de cette ville est remarquable.
    The city's incunabular collection is remarkable.
  • Ils ont étudié une Bible incunable récemment restaurée.
    They studied a recently restored incunabular Bible.

Similar words

Pioneering work in a field

noun
history of technology
literary
By analogy, an object or work from the very beginning of a later medium or field.

Examples

  • Ces disques rares sont des incunables de l'enregistrement sonore.
    These rare discs are early artifacts of sound recording.
  • Le prototype est considéré comme un incunable de l'informatique.
    The prototype is considered an early artifact of computing.
  • Elle collectionne les incunables du cinéma d'animation.
    She collects the earliest works of animated cinema.
  • Ce site fait figure d'incunable du Web français.
    This site is an early relic of the French Web.
  • Les chercheurs analysent ces incunables de la photographie.
    Researchers are analysing these pioneering works of photography.

Similar words

Etymology

From Latin incunabula, “cradle” or “beginnings”, applied to the infancy of printing.

FAQ

What is an incunable?

A book printed in the West before 1501.

Can incunable be an adjective?

Yes, as in édition incunable.

Can it describe other media?

By analogy, yes, for a pioneering work from a field's beginnings.

Is it the same as a manuscript?

No, an incunable is printed.

Is incunable masculine as a noun?

Yes: un incunable.

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