adjuger

Forms

adjuger^[1] Old French ajugier and ajuger; the spelling adjugier is found in 1208 and adjuger in the 14th century, while ajuger was still recorded by Richelet in 1680.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French ajugier, inherited from Latin adjūdicō (“to award by judgment”).^[3][5][2][1] The Latin verb is formed from ad- and jūdicō (“to judge”).^[2][6] The ⟨d⟩ was put back after the Latin, as in adjoindre.^[2][1]

The early sense “to judge, condemn” is not found in classical Latin, so the word could be taken as a compound of juger;^[4] but Christian Latin used the verb for “to judge” and “to condemn” (in Jerome, of one condemned to the cross), and Italian aggiudicare also once meant “to condemn”.^[3][4] The sense “to award by judgment” was taken again from Latin in the 15th century.^[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

After 1173 Aiol et Mirabel uses ajugier meaning “to judge”; by 1250 it meant “to condemn”, as of a man ajugiez a mort.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Until the 16th century the verb mostly meant “to judge, condemn”.^[4][7] In law it came to mean “to award a disputed thing to one of the parties” (1243, Philippe Mouskes), then from 1539 (Estienne) or 1549 “to declare the highest bidder the owner” of goods put up for sale, a sense still alive, whence the auctioneer's adjugé ! (Académie, 1835).^[3][2]

In general use adjuger un prix came to mean “to award” (15th century; 1659 in the Petit Robert), and s'adjuger “to take for oneself without right” dates from the late 17th century (La Bruyère).^[2][8] English adjudge was borrowed from the Old French form in the late 14th century and took the ⟨d⟩ by the 16th.^[9]

Timeline

• after 1173 – Ajugier “to judge” in Aiol et Mirabel.^[3]
• 1208 – The spelling adjugier.^[2]
• 1243 – Philippe Mouskes uses it for awarding something by judgment.^[3]
• 1250 – The sense “to condemn”.^[3]
• 1539 – Estienne records it for awarding to the highest bidder.^[3]
• late 17th century – La Bruyère uses s'adjuger.^[2]
• 1835 – The Académie records adjugé !.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (law) To award by judgment the disputed property of something to one of the parties.^[8][7][6]
2. To knock down at auction, or award a contract to the best tenderer: adjuger un tableau, and the auctioneer's une fois, deux fois, trois fois, adjugé !.^[8][7][1]
3. To bestow, grant: adjuger un prix.^[8][2]
4. S'adjuger: to take for oneself, appropriate: Il s'est adjugé la plus grosse part du gâteau.^[8][2][1]

Related words

• adjudicataire
• adjudication
• juger
• Latin adjūdicō
• English adjudge

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 159a
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com