Petit apport terminologique à l’histoire de la moto

Abstract

This paper aims to study specifically the lexicon related to the word "motocyclette", resulting from the successful combination of "motor" (internal combustion) and "cycle" or “bicycle”. The ancestor of the bike is the "bicyclette" which the inventors have had the idea to adapt an engine to replace human propulsion system by a mechanical propulsion system. Before being synonymous of "motocyclette", this term was synonymous of "motocycle", that the dictionaries now consider old, and perhaps surprisingly, of "motobicyclette". It is interesting to note that if you type the word "motobicyclette" on any search engine, the spell-check invites us to perform our research in spelling "motocyclette" or we offers suggestions such as "moto bicyclette, with variants : "moto-bicyclette" and "moto/bicyclette ".