Dear François,
First I must apologise. I read the dictionary very quickly and the
meanings I told you were in Portuguese of the word "Função" deriving
from the Latin "Functione" and not the Latin ones.
The meanings in Portuguese (according to the Etymological Dictionary)
are: Accomplishment, execution, end, dead and the satisfaction of taxes
(!!). I was as surprised as you. I can only speculate about Functione
used in Roman times when Latin was fully active with its lively and
literary uses.
I must say that "execution" is here used as "things that are made
perfectly".
I also must say that I never heard in Portuguese function as dead.
Speculating I would think that dead was related with the other meaning
"end". Since something means "End" it can metaphorically be used as "Dead".
Continuing in Portuguese the noun Função seems more related with
purposes, (in that sense, an end for something as in "ends justify
means") teleological, therefore. Whereas the verb funcionar (to
function) is clearly related on how things work as in the "mitochondrial
function as messengers".
In Portuguese also, the Civil Servants are know as A Funçâo Pública (the
public function) and every office worker may be designated as
funcionario (someone that performs a function).
But mostly the word function in Portuguese (I think our Brazilian
colleagues may confirm this) is used in a "machinical" way. "A motor
functions (works) this way".
So modernist function had a resonance near to the futuristic machinery
and obviously underlined by Le Corbusier's habitable machine as a
definition for house.
As for Utilitas it resounds, since it derived to Util (useful), into an
Ethical domain. Something may function perfectly and not being useful
and things may be useful not functioning very properly (my IPad can be
each of the later at time).
Confused?
Not really, I think.
I just think that we think slightly different things especially with
words, as Esra put it, may be regarded as "concepts".
Best regards,
Eduardo
--
Eduardo Côrte-Real
Prof. Doctor
IADE, Lisboa
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