Etymologically
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accomplir

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.kɔ̃.pliʁ/[1]

Forms

accomplir[1] Old French acomplir, acumplir.[1][2]

Etymology

It is from French a- + complir, a prefixed form (1121) of the old verb complir (“to complete”) (10th century).[3][4][5] The old verb continues Vulgar Latin *compliō, from Latin compleō (“to fill up”), with a change of conjugation like that of the Latin verb that gave tenir.[3][6][5][7] It is related to complet and complies.[2][5]

Compare Italian compiere and accompiere, and Old Occitan complir and accomplir, with the same meanings.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF date it to the end of the 10th century; the DHLF's first record is 1121, as a religious term meaning to fulfil the divine promise.[5][6][3]

Semantic evolution

Used at first in religion, the verb was immediately used in lay contexts for carrying out a promise and, from the mid-12th century, for executing something in general and finishing an action; these senses are still alive.[3] The senses “to complete something” (1329) and “to provide someone with something” have disappeared.[3] In Old French it was also used for completing a period of time or reaching an age: Puis fu set ans acomplis et entiers.[2][8]

The participle accompli became an adjective meaning perfect, fully achieved (about 1200), and the noun accomplissement dates from 1214.[3][5]

Timeline

  • 10th century – The simple verb complir.[3]
  • 1121 – Acomplir, of fulfilling the divine promise.[3]
  • Mid-12th century – “To carry out, finish”.[3]
  • c. 1200 – The adjective accompli “perfect”.[3]
  • 1214 – Accomplissement.[3]
  • 1329 – “To complete” (now obsolete).[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To carry out to the end, accomplish: accomplir une mission, accomplir des exploits, mission accomplie.[9][1]
  2. To do, carry out (what was planned, ordered or promised); to fulfil: accomplir son devoir.[9][6]
  3. To serve, complete (a period): accomplir une peine de prison.[9]
  4. S'accomplir: to be fulfilled, come true: la prophétie s'est accomplie.[9][6]

Word family

  • accomplissement

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 980b
  8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert