Etymologically
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cesser

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɛ.se/[1]
  • IPA: /se.se/[1]

Forms

cesser[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin cessō (“to delay, loiter; to stop, be idle”), the frequentative of cēdō (“to go away, withdraw; to yield”) (whence céder).[2][3][4][5][6] Bloch and Wartburg explain the sense “to cease” by the Latin meaning “to delay, drag on”, Wiktionary takes the Old French verb as an early borrowing.[4][1] The Latin senses “to delay” and “to be lacking” were lost in the 16th century.[3]

Cognate with Italian cessare, Old Occitan cessar, Spanish cesar and Portuguese cessar.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) has ne cesser de “not to stop from”, and in the Chanson de Roland the pagans ne volent cesser unke “never want to stop”.[2][9]

Semantic evolution

It meant “to come to an end” of the wind about 1160 (Eneas: li vanz failli, del tot cessa), and became transitive, “to stop (something)”, in Wace (1130–40).[2] Faire cesser dates from about 1360, and toute affaire cessante from La Fontaine (1666).[2][3] In the 17th century the transitive verb could be passive with être, where modern French uses the intransitive with avoir.[10] Today it is somewhat more formal than arrêter and finir.[3][5] The noun cesse (about 1155) survives in sans cesse and n'avoir de cesse que, cessez-le-feu (1945) is perhaps influenced by English cease-fire.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Ne cesser de, Vie de saint Alexis.[2]
  • 1130–40 – Transitive, Wace.[2]
  • c. 1155 – Cesse.[3]
  • c. 1160 – Of the wind, “to stop”, Eneas.[2]
  • c. 1370 – Cessation.[3]
  • 1552 – Incessant.[3]
  • 1945 – Cessez-le-feu.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. Of a thing: to cease, stop, come to an end: le vent a cessé, faire cesser un abus.[7][11]
  2. Cesser de + infinitive: to stop doing: il a cessé de pleuvoir, ne pas cesser de, to keep on.[7][10]
  3. (transitive) To stop, discontinue: cesser le travail, cesser le feu.[10][9]

Word family

  • cesse
  • cessation
  • cessant
  • incessant
  • incessamment
  • cessez-le-feu

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 615a
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)