occasionnelle

Occasionnelle is the feminine singular form of the French adjective occasionnel. It describes something that happens only from time to time, or that is irregular or not planned. The word agrees with the gender and number of the noun it modifies: une visite occasionnelle, des visites occasionnelles; the masculine singular form is occasionnel, and the plural forms are occasionnels (masculine) and occasionnelles (feminine).

Etymology and sense: occasionnelle derives from the noun occasion, meaning opportunity or chance, with the French suffix that forms adjectives. The historical development ties the term to events or circumstances that arise by chance or for a temporary purpose rather than on a fixed schedule.

Usage: Occasionnelle is commonly used to describe jobs, visits, appearances, or duties that are not regular but occur occasionally. For example, un travail occasionnel refers to temporary or casual work, while une apparition occasionnelle could describe a sporadic appearance. The phrase à titre occasionnel emphasizes an optional or temporary nature of the activity.

Adverbial form and related terms: The adverbial form is occasionnellement, meaning "occasionally" or "from time to time." Related terms include sporadique (sporadic) and irrégulier (irregular), which carry similar but not identical nuances. In formal writing, occasionnel is typically preferred when the emphasis is on non-regular occurrence rather than on randomness or irregularity.

In summary, occasionnelle functions as the feminine form to describe infrequent, non-regular occurrences in French, with a clear link to the concept of opportunity or occasion.