éteindre

Pronunciation

• IPA: /e.tɛ̃dʁ/^[1]

Forms

éteindre^[1] Old French esteindre, estaindre, éteindre from the 17th century.^[2][3][4][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French esteindre, inherited from Vulgar Latin *extingere, from Latin exstinguō (“to put out (a fire); to wipe out”).^{[2][5][6][7][1]} The Latin verb has no simple verb beside it and is of obscure origin, Littré related it to īnstīnctus and Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “point”).^[5][8] Bloch and Wartburg note that it was replaced almost everywhere by other words, because it could be taken for a compound of tingō (“to dye”); in Gallo-Romance it survives only in the northern dialects, and even there competes with déteindre and tuer.^[6] Already in Latin people spoke euphemistically of “calming” a fire, the usage behind the latter.^[5]

Compare Old Occitan estenher, Romanian stinge, Spanish extinguir and Italian estinguere.^[6][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Vie de sainte Marguerite (1130–40) uses esteindre for making a fire or light stop burning, Thomas Becket's life has Esteigniez ces cirges alumez “put out these lighted candles”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

Benoît de Sainte-Maure (about 1160) uses it for abating or ending something, a feeling or desire: Esteigne le grant feu de t'ire “may it quench the great fire of thy anger”.^[2][5][8] S'éteindre “to fade away, die gently” is in Chrétien de Troyes (1165), and euphemistically means “to die”.^[2][5] Beaumanoir (about 1283) uses it for putting out a house on fire, and later it was used for slaking lime (about 1560) and quenching iron.^[3][8] Éteindre une dette “to extinguish a debt” is recorded in 1690.^[5] In the 20th century one éteint a lamp, the light, or an electrical appliance.^[3][9]

Timeline

• 1130–1140 – Esteindre, Wace.^[2]
• c. 1160 – “To abate”, Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^[2]
• 1165 – S'éteindre “to fade away”.^[2]
• 1552 – The derivative éteignoir.^[6]
• 1690 – Éteindre une dette.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To put out, extinguish: éteindre le feu, une cigarette.^[9][1]
2. To switch off, turn off: éteindre la lumière, la télévision.^[9][1]
3. To dampen, quench: éteindre la soif; to dull (a colour, a sound).^[5][3]
4. (law) To extinguish (a debt, a right).^[5]
5. S'éteindre: to go out; to fade, (euphemism) to pass away.^[2][1]

Word family

• éteint
• éteignoir
• éteignement

Related words

• extinction
• inextinguible
• distinguer
• extincteur

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 320a
8. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert