From Middle English habitacle, from Middle French habitacle, from Latin habitāculum (“dwelling place”). See binnacle, habit (verb), inhabit.
habitacle (plural habitacles)
|
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.
habitacle m (plural habitacles)
Borrowed from Late Latin habitāculum.
habitacle m (plural habitacles)