Etymologically
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barguigner

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /baʁ.ɡi.ɲe/[1]

Forms

barguigner[1] Old French bargaignier, barguignier (12th century); Quebec barguiner.[2][3]

Etymology

The origin is disputed.[2] The usual explanation is borrowed from Frankish *borganjan,[2][4][1][5] a crossing of a Frankish verb akin to German borgen (“to lend, borrow”) with *waidanjan, the source of gagner;[2][4] Medieval Latin has “barcaniare” “to trade” (9th century) and “barganaticum” “duty on goods” (752–768).[2][6] Rey suggests that “bargaignier” became “barguignier” under the influence of Old French engignier (“to deceive”).[2] Gamillscheg, followed by Guiraud, proposed instead a Frankish “*warbanjan” from a noun meaning “business, trade”.[2] Littré reported Diez's idea of a derivative of Latin barca (“boat”).[6]

Old Occitan barganhar has the same two senses, and Old Italian “bargagnare” “to trade” comes from French.[4] English bargain is from the Old French verb.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie (1165–1170) has bargaignier “to haggle, bargain”.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to haggle at length” was in use until the 17th century (Joinville's il n'a pas bargignié sur si grant somme) and is now only regional, as in Quebec.[2][4][6][1] From long bargaining it came to mean “to hesitate, shilly-shally” (1234; the noun bargaigne “hesitation” about 1195),[2][4] as in Molière's À quoi bon tant barguigner ?.[7] This sense survives chiefly in sans barguigner “without hesitating” (1400–1422), already in Monstrelet.[2][6]

Timeline

  • 752–768 – Medieval Latin barganaticum.[2]
  • 1165–1170 – Bargaignier “to haggle”.[3]
  • c. 1195 – Bargaigne “hesitation”.[2]
  • 1234 – “To hesitate”.[2]
  • 1400–1422 – Sans barguigner.[2]
  • 18th century – “To haggle” falls out of use.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (dated) To hesitate, dither.[8][9]
  2. Sans barguigner: without hesitating, without demur.[8][10]
  3. (obsolete, Canada) To haggle, bargain.[8][1]

Word family

  • barguignage
  • barguigneur

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 m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c 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. 15/1, 190a
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)