éclaircir

Forms

éclaircir^[1] Old French esclarcir, from about 1230 also esclaircir.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French esclarcir, inherited from Vulgar Latin *exclaricīre, a remaking of *exclaricō, an intensive of Imperial Latin clāricō (“to shine brightly”), itself from clārus (“clear, bright”).^[2][4][3][5] The form in ⟨-īre⟩ was modelled on *exclāriō, the source of éclairer and of Old French esclargier, already in the Chanson de Roland.^[2][6] About 1230 the spelling esclaircir appears, under the influence of clair.^[3][6] Bloch and Wartburg note that in these verbs the prefix ex- expresses coming out of darkness into light.^[6]

Littré compares Occitan esclarzir, Catalan esclarir, Spanish esclarecer and Portuguese esclarecer.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1130, in Li vers del Juise, esclarcir is said of daylight appearing and shining and of the sun shining brightly.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Around 1165 resclarcir meant “make bright”, and about 1393 the Ménagier de Paris uses the verb for clearing wine.^[2] Applied to abstract things, it meant “throw light on” (about 1200) and “bring to light” (1210–1230), then “make clear, sort out” in Beaumanoir's Coutumes de Beauvaisis (1283).^[2][3]

In the concrete sense of making something less dense, Froissart uses it of the ranks of an army in the 14th century and Montaigne of branches in 1580.^[2][3] Éclaircir quelqu'un “inform someone” (17th century) has aged, and s'éclaircir avec quelqu'un “explain oneself” is gone; these senses live on in éclaircissement.^[3] In African French the pronominal verb is used for lightening one's skin.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1130 – Esclarcir in Li vers del Juise, of daylight.^[2]
• c. 1200 – Used figuratively, “throw light on”.^[2]
• c. 1230 – The spelling esclaircir appears.^[2][3]
• 1283 – Beaumanoir uses it for clearing up a matter.^[2]
• c. 1393 – The Ménagier de Paris uses it for clearing wine.^[2]
• 14th century – Froissart uses it for thinning the ranks of an army.^[2]
• 1580 – Montaigne speaks of thinning branches.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make lighter or less dark: éclaircir une couleur.^[8][2] Pronominal: of the sky or weather, to clear up.^[8][2][9]
2. S'éclaircir la voix: to clear one's throat.^[8]
3. To make thinner or less dense: to thin a wood or a row of seedlings, or a sauce by adding water.^[8] Pronominal: ses cheveux s'éclaircissent, his hair is thinning.^[8][1]
4. (figurative) To make clear to the mind, to elucidate: éclaircir un mystère.^[8][1]
5. (dated) To dispel (doubts).^[8]

Word family

• éclaircie
• éclaircissement

Related words

• clair
• éclairer
• Latin clarus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 276b
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)