Libre (pronounced lib-rah (U) or lee-bra (non-U))
(1) Of or relating to
free will; independent & unconstrained (now rare).
(2) Of software with few
limitations on distribution and including access source code with a right
granted to modify and distribute changed versions, usually with the limitation
that this must be on a free-of-charge basis.
(3) As Formula Libre (historically Formule Libre),
a category of motorsport which imposes only minimal safety rules and is
otherwise unregulated.
(4) In historic use, a
free (ie not enslaved) black person living in a territory under the
administration of the French or Spanish-colonial empires, the use most
institutionalized in New Orleans.
1700s: From the French
or Spanish libre (at liberty, free;
clear, free, vacant; free, without obligation), from the Latin līber (free; unrestricted (and related
to librum (book)), from the Old Latin
loeber, from the Proto-Italic louðeros, from the primitive
Indo-European hlewderos, from hlewd-
(people). Etymologists speculate the currency the word attained in the English-speaking
world was initially due more to influence from Spanish than French, the word in
more common use in the former. The
specific (though sometimes misleading) sense in software dates from the late
twentieth century, more precise terms such as “open source”, “freeware”, “crippleware”
& “freemium” actually more helpful. Libre
is a noun, verb and adjective. Variations appear in many European languages (apart from those which
directly borrowed libre) including
the Alemannic
German liiber, the Romanian liber and the thirteenth century Old Galician and Old Portuguese livre (in which libre co-existed). Because of the influence of Spanish
colonialism, libre appears often in Filipino dialectical use where it has
tended to replace the older gratis (free).
Libre was a popular
element in many in French formations encapsulating concepts, some of which were
adopted in English although that tendency has now faded. The phrases include un homme libre (literally “a free man” but used idiomatically in
the sense of “an unmarried man”), la voie
est libre (the way is clear), temps
libre (free time), libre arbiter
(free will), amour libre (free love
(in the sense of the eradication of restrictive sexual mores) libre-échange (free trade), association libre (free association), à l'air libre (uncovered; in the open
air (a pre-modern medical dogma which advocated not bandaging wounds), libre comme l'air (free as the air,
synonymous with “free as a bird”)), nage
libre (the freestyle stroke is swimming) & papier libre (a masculine noun for a piece of stationery not stamped
or franked (ie without letterhead); it’s unrelated to newspapers etc
distributed for free or without censorship). There were also
constructions of Spanish origin including aire
libre (the outdoors, fresh air), barra
libre (open bar (ie no limit), comercio
libre (free trade). libre de culpa
(off the hook, ie blameless”), libremente
(to do something in an unrestrained manner), radical libre (free radical in the technical sense from chemistry),
saque libre (the free kick in
football), tiempo libre (free time), libérrimo (most free, the superlative
degree of libre) & libertad (a
degree of freedom; latitude, leeway).
Two constructs were
adopted in English and added to the technical jargon of English. The morphème
libre in grammar indicates that which may be unattached from another
morpheme (the smallest meaningful element in a text string). Vers
libre (free verse, ie in poetry, lines of varying lengths) was borrowed by
English circa 1870. Originally, the
adoption reflected the technical meaning which was referenced against the French
alexandrin (alexandrine), a syllabic
poetic meter of twelve syllables (there were occasional deviations) with a
medial caesura dividing the line into two hemistichs (half-lines), each of six
syllables. The structure, the origins of
which can be traced to the twelfth century, was dominant in French poetry from
the seventeen to the nineteenth centuries, encouraging a host of imitators
around the continent and in the English-speaking world. However, what were claimed to be the
implications of free verse attracted the modernists who produced work which was
derided by many critics (professional and otherwise) as “no verse” and thus,
whatever the discernible structure, not exactly poetry and certainly not vers libre. Free verse works which however, which tended
either to ignore or parody the tradition of rhyme, did become a genre which
endures to this day and among literary theorists, there’s long been the
argument that in not relying on formalism (the technical constraint of rhyme)
works needed to be more adventurous and imaginative, the focus on meaning rather
than structure. Divisions between the
schools of poetry, although barely noticed by most of the population, continue
to this day.
Formula Libre
Formula libre is the
informal description of a motorsport category which, in its pure form, imposes
no regulations other safety standards and to permit competition between
vehicles which can be configured to widely different specifications, events are
often conducted on some sort of handicap basis.
The philosophy of formula libre is the antithesis of that of
motorsport’s governing body, the Fédération
Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA, the International Automobile
Federation) which began in the early twentieth century with the admirable aim
of encouraging competition in the quest for speed but, beginning in the 1960s, began to develop an obsession with slowing things down. The reasons for this have been debated and,
whether related or not to the change in emphasis, the FIA in recent decades has
morphed into a vast bureaucracy dedicated to (1) imposing category rules which
make cars as uninteresting as possible, (2) imposing conditions which require
event organizers to pay for increasing numbers of FIA staff to do things at the
events and (3) find reasons why fees have to be paid to the FIA. There may be some competition but the FIA are now probably world sport's dopiest regulatory body.
Motor racing in a
recognizable form began in France in the 1880s, soon evolving from races
between villages into formally organized events and by early the next century,
was established as a popular spectator event, run sometimes on public roads (usually
but not always closed to other traffic!) and increasingly, on circuits built
expressly for the purpose, these have the advantage of being fenced, thus
permitting an entry fee to be charged for those wishing to watch. The first race to be called a Grand Prix was held
in France in 1906, conducted over two days on a road course in Le Mans, 65
miles (105 km) in length and the interest generated encouraged others; by the
1920s, Grand Prix were held in many countries although there was no linking
championship, the rules varying from place to place, tweaked often to ensure
the machines produced by local manufacturers might enjoy some advantage, a
practice which long endured.
1929 Mercedes-Benz
SSKL.
The FIA’s predessor, the Association
Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR, the International
Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs) began creating rules governing the
categories in motorsport just before the outbreak of hostilities in 1914,
specifying minimum & maximum weights, engine displacement and defining body
types but it was in the inter-war years that the first attempts were made to
impose universal rules. The rules were
created but many race organizers, seeking wider entry lists and more
spectacular racing, often declined to adopt them, instead preferring the less
restrictive “sports car” definition which attracted more manufacturers,
including those not in a position to produce pure racing cars which conformed
with the AIACR’s regulations.
Eventually, such was the resistance, the rules for Grand Prix racing were
in 1928 abandoned and the era known as Formule Libre began, exemplified by the big Mercedes-Benz SSKL, the
last of the road-cars used to win Grand Prix races but one which illustrated
the limitations of the approach; the next generation would have to be pure race
cars, a change which ushered in the age of regulation which lasts to this day.
1936 Auto-Union Type-C. Not used on the circuits, the twin-rear tyres
were fitted for hill climbs in a partially successful attempt to tame the
handling quirks induced by mounting the 6.0 litre (366 cubic inch) V16 behind
the driver. Although a preview of the
form open-wheel racing cars would begin to adopt in the late 1950s, the less adventurous Mercedes-Benz
W125 with a front-mounted, 5.7 litre (346 cubic inch) straight-eight proved both more effective and
easier to handle.
The structures of competition also become formalized. The number of Grand Prix had risen from five
in 1927 to eighteen by 1934 and a manufacturers’ world championship had
actually been awarded in 1925 although it consisted only of the Indianapolis
500, the Grand Prix of Europe, France & Italy. Interestingly, there was no drivers’ title and
in Formula One, the FIA would not award the Constructors' Championship (initially
the International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers) until 1958 although there
had be an award for drivers since 1950, an evolution of the 1935-1939 European Drivers’
Championship, created with the agreement of the national federations. The memorable racing of the era was governed
by rules and even then, the AIACR reacted against the increasing speeds which
had been thought not possible under the 750 KG (1653 lb) maximum weight rule,
creating in 1938 two classes (1) 4.5 litre (275 cubic inch) displacement un-supercharged
& 3.0 litre (183 cubic inch) supercharged and (2) a 1.5 litre (92 cubic
inch) supercharged voiturette class (informally known as formula two (Formula
1, 2, 3 etc would not be codified until the post-war years, the first Formula
One race held in Italy in 1946).
Juan Manuel Fangio (1911-1995), BRM
V16, in Formule Libre events in England, 1953, Silverstone (left) & Goodwood (right).
Development of the big aero-engines used in World War II meant there had
been enormous advances in forced induction and it was clear a 4.5 litre, naturally
aspirated engine would be uncompetitive against a 3.0 litre supercharged unit
so the FIA (the AIACR had in 1947 been reorganized and renamed) in 1949
announced the seven round Grand Prix World Championship for Formula One drivers
would in 1950 be held for 1.5 litre supercharged and 4.5 litre un-supercharged
cars. However, a decline in the number
of entries meant the championship was in 1952-1953 contested by Formula 2 cars
which existed in greater numbers and this resurrected interest in Formule Libre; because dramatic machinery
like the 4.5 litre Ferraris and the BRM V16 no longer had a championship to
contest, they were instead entered in the handful of non-championship F1 races
on offer and the more numerous Formule
Libre events. During the 1950s, the Formule Libre race, often the last of
the weekend, was regarded by many spectators as the highlight, the machinery
almost always the fastest at the event.
Allcomers, New Zealand, circa 1963, the Morrari leading a
Corvette-powered Ford Zephyr Mk II.
Note
the open-
stack exhausts protruding from the Zephyr’s bonnet (hood), an
efficient and weight-saving solution, especially useful when space is limited and one the FIA banned in Formula One. Whenever the FIA killjoys see something innovative, their instinct is it should be banned.
In the
decades since, Formule Libre (now
usually spelled formula libre) has never really gone away, (despite the best
efforts of the humorless clerks at the FIA), its spirit exemplified by the
rule book for the Unlimited Division at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb:
(1) Must meet all safety specifications & (2) No other restrictions. Pure formula libre thus and there have been
competitions which went close such as the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (the
Can-Am) for sports cars which specified only (1) Must meet all safety
specifications, (2) enclosed wheels & (3) two seats. Notable also was the “Allcomer” category
adopted for New Zealand’s saloon car championship in the 1960s which was for
unlimited displacement touring cars and accommodated machinery as diverse as a
1956 Ford Customline powered by a Galaxie 427 cubic inch (7.0 litre) V8 (thus dubbed
the Custaxie) and, more improbably still, the Morarri, a hybrid made by placing a Morris Minor body atop a Ferrari 555
Super Squalo F1 chassis (#555/1), the improbably ensemble powered by a 327 cubic inch (5.3 litre) Chevrolet V8. Many other bastard offspring were barely less
extreme. After 1967, the Allcomer Saloons
were banned and the championship was run under the FIA’s Group 5 regulations
and the category was well-supported but lacked some of the appeal of their wild
predecessors so, in 1973, a locally concocted Schedule E was written which enabled
the construction of things with something of the earlier flavor, proving things often go better without the FIA.
The formula libra
concept has clearly attracted the interest of the Fédération internationale de
notation (Fina, the International Swimming Federation) which recently
announced a ban on the participation of transgender women from elite female
competition if they have experienced “…any
part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or before age twelve, whichever is
later." Given the controversy,
the announcement was not wholly unexpected and, although it sets Fina apart
from federations affiliated with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), it won't be the only body to issue the sanction and already the International Rugby League (IRL)
has imposed a similar ban. As something of a
workaround designed somehow to combine inclusion and exclusion in the one
policy, Fina undertook to create a working group to design an “open” category for trans women in “some events” as part of its new policy. Formula libra for women’s swimming therefore,
a category in which women, trans- or cis-gender, could compete. Fina’s president, Dr Husain al-Musallam (b
1960) insisted “Fina will always welcome
every athlete (and) the creation of
an open category will mean that everybody has the opportunity to compete at an
elite level. This has not been done before, so Fina will need to lead the way.” Whether a concept used for machines will be
thought appropriate to apply to people remains to be seen.
The competing arguments
(fairness in competition vs DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)) can’t easily be resolved
and the use of the formula libre concept hasn’t been well received by many,
some trans activists suggesting it would be labelled a “freak show”. The idea has before
been floated, some genuinely interested in the maximum performance possible by
the human body suggesting it might be interesting if a competition was
established for athletes using performance-enhancing drugs. Unsurprisingly, that went nowhere but nor is the
“open class” idea new, the origin of competitive athletics in the modern age
actually organized as a formula libre style, open class, some track events once
scheduled on the basis of distance and anyone, male or female, was able to
enter. It was later that the women’s
category was created as “protected class” so they might enjoy fair competition,
something Fina claim is the basis of their exclusionary rule.
Both sides are now
assembling, selectively perhaps, the scientific research which supports their
respective positions and perhaps the most significant announcement was from the
Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (Fifa, the International Federation of Association Football)
which confirmed it was reviewing its gender eligibility regulations. Fifa issued a statement indicating they were
consulting with “…many stakeholders…
(and) should Fifa be asked to verify the
eligibility of a player before the new regulations will be in place, any such
case will be dealt with on a case‑by-case basis,
taking into account Fifa’s clear commitment to respect for human
rights.” Such is the international influence of Fifa
that it’s likely their position may become the default template for federations
everywhere not anxious to make targets of themselves.