éclairer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /e.klɛ.ʁe/^[1]
• IPA: /e.kle.ʁe/^[1]

Forms

éclairer^[1] Old French esclairer, éclairer from the 17th century.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French esclairer, inherited from Vulgar Latin *exclāriō, from Latin exclārō (“to light up”),^{[3][4][2][1][5]} formed with ex- and clārō (“to make bright”), from clārus (“clear, bright”), the source of clair.^[6][4] Rey relates the adjective to the root of clāmō (“to cry out”).^[6]

Compare Old Occitan esclairar and Italian schiarare.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as a participle in the Passion of Clermont (10th century): Cum le matins fud esclairez, “when the morning had dawned”.^[3][6] The Chanson de Roland uses it intransitively: Tuz li païs en reluist e esclairet (“the whole country shines and is lit up”).^[3][8]

Semantic evolution

The transitive sense “to shed light on” someone is found about 1200 (L'Escoufle), and on a room in the 13th century.^[3][6] Very early it took the figurative sense “to make clear, explain” (Gautier de Coinci, about 1220), whence “to enable someone to understand” (1580, Montaigne).^[3][6][2] The participle éclairé “enlightened” is in Molière (1667), and the 18th century spoke of despotisme éclairé.^[3][6]

From the 16th century it also meant “to pay”, in gamblers' slang éclairer le tapis (1771), from the shine of coins on the table; in the 18th-century low-life theatre it meant “to bribe”.^[6] In the Revolution it was a euphemism for “to set fire to” (1790).^[6] In the army (1834) it means to scout ahead, as with éclaireurs “scouts” (1793).^[3][6][7] éclair “flash of light, lightning” dates from about 1121.^[6]

Timeline

• 10th century – Esclairez in the Passion.^[3]
• c. 1100 – Esclairet, in the Chanson de Roland.^[3]
• c. 1121 – Éclair.^[6]
• c. 1200 – “To shed light on someone”.^[3]
• c. 1220 – “To explain”, in Gautier de Coinci.^[3]
• 1667 – Éclairé “enlightened”, in Molière.^[3]
• 1771 – Gamblers' éclairer le tapis.^[6]
• 1790 – Revolutionary “to set on fire”.^[6]
• 1793 – Éclaireur.^[7]
• 1798 – Éclairage.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To Light (up), illuminate: les lampes qui éclairent la pièce, s'éclairer, to light one's way.^[9][1]
2. To light the way for (someone).^[9]
3. (figurative) To shed light on, explain; to enlighten (someone).^[1][6]
4. Of a face, to light up.^[6]
5. (military) To scout ahead of (a troop).^[1][3]
6. (gambling slang) To put up one's stake, to pay.^[6]
7. (regional, impersonal) To flash with lightning.^[6]

Word family

• éclair
• éclairage
• éclairant
• éclairement
• éclaire
• éclaireur

Related words

• clair
• clarté

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 274b
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert