ère

Forms

ère f (plural ères)^[1] First written here (1539), then ère (1678).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin aera (“number, epoch”), a learned borrowing.^[3][4][2][1] The Late Latin word meant first a coin, then an item of an account and a number, and in chronology a starting point or epoch; it is derived from Latin aes (“copper, bronze, money”).^[2][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gruget's translation of Pedro Mexía's Diverses leçons (1539) uses here for the starting point of a chronology.^[3][2] Bloch and Wartburg and the Robert date it from 1537, in la here de Cesar.^[5][7][8]

Semantic evolution

It came in with the Late Latin sense “starting point of a chronology”, which is now technical.^[2][3] In the 17th century it took the modern meaning of a span of years counted from a fixed point (1678–1680, Bossuet), as in ère chrétienne and ère musulmane.^[2][3] Before 1834 it was extended to an epoch that begins a new order of things, as in ère industrielle, and in the early 20th century geology used it for the largest division of the Earth's history, as in ère primaire and ère tertiaire.^[2][6]

Timeline

• 1537 – La here de Cesar.^[5]
• 1539 – Gruget uses here for the starting point of a chronology.^[3][2]
• 1678–1680 – Bossuet writes ère for a series of years counted from a fixed point.^[3][2]
• before 1834 – Béranger uses it of an epoch with a new order of things.^[6]
• early 20th century – Geology uses it for its largest time division.^[2][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (dated) The starting point of a particular chronology.^[8][3]
2. A long period of time counted from a fixed point: l'ère chrétienne, avant notre ère.^[8][3]
3. An epoch that begins with a new order of things: l'ère industrielle, une ère nouvelle.^[8][6]
4. (geology) The largest division of geological time: l'ère primaire, l'ère tertiaire.^[8][6]

Related words

• airain
• Latin aes

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 227b
5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert