Etymologically
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éteindre

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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

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