apporter

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a.pɔʁ.te/^[1]

Forms

apporter^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin apportō (“to bring, carry to”), an early borrowing first written “aporter”, formed from ad- and portō (“to carry”).^[2][3][1][4] Bloch and Wartburg simply give it as from the Latin verb.^[5] The other main Romance languages have the same word: Italian apportare, Catalan aportar, Spanish aportar and Portuguese aportar.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the Vie de saint Léger (late 10th century).^[6][2] The Chanson de Roland has De Saragoce vous aporte les clefs (“I bring you the keys of Saragossa”) and uses it for bringing news: Males nouveles il lui aporte.^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

Beside the concrete sense it took the Latin meaning “to pass on, communicate” (1080) and, about 1230, “to cause, make available”, and also “to produce”, a sense later taken by rapporter.^[2] Apporte !, said to a dog, is recorded in 1675, apporter du soin à “to put care into” in 1595, and apporter une dot “to bring a dowry” in 1668.^[2] In 20th-century slang s'apporter meant “to turn up”.^[8]

It was borrowed as German apportieren, of a dog fetching.^[1]

Timeline

• late 10th century – Aporter in the Vie de saint Léger.^[6]
• 1080 – “To pass on (news)”.^[2]
• c. 1230 – “To cause, provide”.^[2]
• 1595 – Apporter du soin à.^[2]
• 1668 – Apporter une dot.^[2]
• 1675 – Apporte ! to a dog.^[2]
• 1922 – Slang s'apporter “to turn up”.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To bring something to where someone is: apportez-le-moi.^[9][10]
2. To bring along with one: apportez vos outils, le facteur apporte le courrier.^[9]
3. (of things) To carry along: le vent m'apportait leurs chants.^[9]
4. To contribute one's share; to provide (money, a dowry): apporter sa pierre à l'édifice.^[9][7][1]
5. To supply (evidence, explanations): apporter des preuves.^[6]
6. To bring about, cause: apporter un changement, apporter un soulagement.^[1][6]
7. To put (care, effort) into: apporter du soin à son travail.^[2][7]

Word family

• apport
• apporteur
• rapporter

Related words

• porter
• amener

Usage notes

Apporter is used for things and amener for people: apporter quelque chose et amener quelqu'un.^[10]

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 l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 46a
5. ^ 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. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)