concours
UK[ˈkɒŋkʊə]US[ˈkɑːŋkʊr]
n
A public competition or contest, especially in the arts, music, or other skilled activities.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
cours
con
together, with
cours
a running, course, flow
Etymology
The word 'concours' is a direct borrowing from modern French, where it retains its meaning of a competition or contest. Its French ancestor is derived from the Latin verb 'concurrere', meaning 'to run together, to assemble, or to clash'. This Latin source is a compound of the prefix 'con-' (together) and 'currere' (to run). The literal sense of 'running together' evolved metaphorically into the idea of people or their works coming together for a contest of skill, a meaning fully crystallized in French before being adopted into specialized English usage, particularly in contexts like art, music, or automotive elegance competitions.
Analysis
Structure: con + cours
- con: Latin origin, a variant of 'com-' meaning 'together, with'.
- cours: French origin, from Old French 'cours', meaning 'a running, course, flow'.
Examples
She won first prize in the national piano concours.
The classic car concours d'elegance attracted collectors from around the world.
Admission to the prestigious academy is based on a highly competitive concours.