ajuster

Forms

ajuster^[1] Old French ajouster, adjouster;^[2][3] ajuster from the 14th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French a- + juste.^{[2][4][5][6][7]} The adjective is a borrowing of Latin iūstus (“just, right”).^[6] Littré compares Italian aggiustare, and notes that in Old French the verb can hardly be told apart in form from ajouster (now ajouter); the distinction becomes clear only in the 16th century.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1260 as ajouster, in Étienne Boileau's Livre des métiers, meaning to make weights, measures and coins conform to the standard.^[2][4] The DHLF finds the verb as early as about 1230.^[9]

Semantic evolution

From the sense of making exact to the measure, the verb gained technical uses from 1480 and, in the 16th century, the figurative sense “to reconcile, bring into agreement”.^[2][9] The 17th century used it very widely: for adapting one thing to another (Corneille, 1632), for arranging and adorning (Molière, 1659: Ajustons un peu nos cheveux), for aiming at a quarry or target (La Fontaine, 1668), for tuning instruments (1670) and, in riding, for adjusting stirrups and reins (1680).^[2] Ajustez vos flûtes was said to people who could not agree (Furetière, 1690).^[2][8]

Applied to clothes, it gave the participle ajusté “close-fitting”.^[9] Later uses are nautical (1702, tying two ropes together) and mechanical (1740).^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1230 – Earliest date the DHLF gives for the verb.^[9]
• 1260 – Ajouster is used of weights and measures in the Livre des métiers.^[2][4]
• 1328 – The derivative ajustement appears, as adjutement.^[9]
• 1480 – A technical use is recorded at Tours.^[2]
• 16th century – Agrippa d'Aubigné uses it for reconciling differences.^[2][8]
• 1659 – Molière uses it for arranging one's hair.^[2]
• 1668 – La Fontaine uses it for aiming at an animal.^[2]
• 1680 – Richelet records s'ajuster “to dress up”.^[2]
• 1702 – A nautical sense is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make something conform to a standard or the right size, to adjust or regulate it: ajuster le ressort d'une montre.^[5][2]
2. To aim a firearm or a shot, to take aim at: Le chasseur ajusta le sanglier.^[5][3]
3. Ajuster son coup: to plan one's move carefully.^[5][3]
4. To fit one thing to another: ajuster un couvercle sur une boîte.^[5][8]
5. To adapt, to bring into agreement: ajuster ses dépenses à ses revenus.^[2][8]
6. (dated) To arrange or put in order one's clothes or hair, also s'ajuster “to dress up”.^[5][2]

Word family

• ajustage
• ajustement
• ajusteur
• rajuster
• réajuster
• désajuster

Related words

• juste
• justesse
• Latin iūstus

Usage notes

Vêtement ajusté means a close-fitting garment.^[5][9] The Grand Robert gives the nautical verb ajuster or ajuter “to tie two ropes together” (1702, avuster 1687) as a separate headword, from the same à and juste.^[4][2]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s 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. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b 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. 5, 89a
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 d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert