amonestar

Forms

amonestar (first-person singular present amonesto, first-person singular preterite amonestí, past participle amonestat); root stress: (Northern) /e̞/, (Balearic, Central, Northwestern, Valencia) /e/^[1] Reixac's Questa writes l'amonàsta, which according to Coromines shows that in the 14th century the present had a stressed /ɛ/ in Mallorca.^[2] The DCVB records pronunciations from [əmunəstá] to [amonestáɾ], with [əmuləstá] and [əzmunəstá] as local variants.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *admonestāre, which comes indirectly from admoneō (“to remind, warn”), itself formed from ad- and moneō (“to warn, advise”).^[2][3][1] The verb is unknown in Latin but common to the main Romance languages: Portuguese amoestar, Spanish amonestar, Old Occitan amonestar, Old French amonester and Old Italian ammonestare.^[2][4]

The origin of the element -est- is disputed.^[2] Some scholars, among them Wartburg and Spitzer, start from a participle ⟨*monestus⟩ of the Latin verb; others, among them Cornu, Gamillscheg and Meyer-Lübke, assume a cross with molestō (“to trouble”).^[2] Coromines considers the question still open.^[2] Bruguera and the GDLC give that cross as possible.^[2][5][6] García de Diego adds the proposals of a verb ⟨*admolestare⟩ and the influence of manifēstō.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The CICA corpus has its first occurrence in a Catalan version of the Usatges de Barcelona of the first half of the 13th century.^[8] Coromines's first dated record is a document of the diocese of Urgell of 1250, speaking of the life of heretics.^[2] In a version of the Usatges de Barcelona that he dates to about 1280 the verb means no more than to send a warning from afar, by beacons and fires.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Llull already uses it in the commoner sense of urging and advising: God urges sinners to good works, and devils urge him to sin.^[9][2] The medieval language used it both for advising without blame and for reproving, as the other Romance languages did.^[2][10] Muntaner, in 1325, has a commander exhorting his men to do well.^[10]

The Church sense, announcing a planned marriage from the pulpit so that any impediment may be declared, is according to Coromines the most widespread today, used even in the Aragonese valleys near the Catalan area.^[2] Labèrnia's dictionary of 1839 gives it first.^[11] The modern standard adds a mild disciplinary sanction, in work and in sport.^[12][6] Amonestació and amonestament are recorded in Llull.^[5]

Timeline

• First half of the 13th century – the earliest occurrence in the CICA corpus, in the Usatges de Barcelona.^[8]
• 1250 – a document of the diocese of Urgell.^[2]
• Late 13th century – Llull's Llibre de contemplació uses it for urging to good works.^[9]
• 1325 – Muntaner's chronicle: a leader exhorts his men to fight well.^[10]
• 1381 – Bernat Metge's Història de Valter i de la pacient Griselda.^[10]
• 1839 – Labèrnia's dictionary gives the sense of publishing the banns first.^[11]

Meanings

Verb

1. To admonish, reprimand: to warn someone seriously so that they mend their ways.^[12][3]
2. To impose a minor penalty on someone for a breach of discipline;^[1] (sports) to book a player.^[12][6][1]
3. To publish the banns of people who intend to marry.^[12][3]
4. To warn and advise; to exhort.^[3][9]

Word family

• amonestació
• amonestador
• amonestament

Related words

• admonició
• monitor
• mònita
• Latin admoneō
• Spanish amonestar

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Coromines, Joan (1980–2001), Diccionari etimològic i complementari de la llengua catalana, 10 vols., Barcelona: Curial / La Caixa (online ed., Institut d'Estudis Catalans 2024), p. 1, 286
3. ^ a b c d e Alcover, Antoni M.; Moll, Francesc de B. (1930–1962), Diccionari català-valencià-balear, 10 vols., Palma de Mallorca: Moll, p. s.v. amonestar
4. ^ Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 1, 245
5. ^ a b Bruguera, Jordi (1996), Diccionari etimològic, Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana, p. 66
6. ^ a b c Enciclopèdia Catalana, Gran diccionari de la llengua catalana (GDLC), Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana; online edition, https://www.diccionari.cat, p. s.v. amonestar
7. ^ García de Diego, Vicente (1985), Diccionario etimológico español e hispánico, 2nd ed., Madrid: Espasa-Calpe (1st ed. 1954), p. s.v. *admonestare
8. ^ a b Torruella, Joan; Pérez Saldanya, Manuel; Martines, Josep (dirs.), Corpus Informatitzat del Català Antic (CICA), https://www.cica.cat, p. s.v. amonestar
9. ^ a b c Nou glossari general lul·lià (NGGL), Centre de Documentació Ramon Llull, Universitat de Barcelona, https://nggl.ub.edu, p. s.v. amonestar
10. ^ a b c d Faraudo de Saint-Germain, Lluís, Vocabulari de la llengua catalana medieval, online edition, Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans, p. s.v. amonestar
11. ^ a b Labèrnia, Pere (1839–1840), Diccionari de la llengua catalana ab la correspondencia castellana y llatina, 2 vols., Barcelona, p. s.v. amonestar
12. ^ a b c d Institut d'Estudis Catalans (2007), Diccionari de la llengua catalana, 2nd ed. (DIEC2), Barcelona: Edicions 62; online edition with later updates, https://dlc.iec.cat, p. s.v. amonestar