chérir

Forms

chérir^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French cher + -ir.^[2][1][3] The first part is from Latin cārus (“dear, costly”).^[4][1] The Grand Larousse dates the verb to about 1050, in the Vie de saint Alexis, while the TLFi has its first record in Wace about 1150.^[5][2]

English cherish was borrowed in the early 14th century from the Old French present stem cheriss-.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace uses cherir about 1150 in the Vie de saint Nicolas in the sense “to honour, flatter”, and about 1155 in the Roman de Brut in the sense “to love tenderly”.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to honour, flatter” went out of use in the 16th century, while “to love tenderly” lived on.^[2][7] With a thing as object it came to mean “to set great store by” (1580, Montaigne) and then “to cling to, take pleasure in” (1641–1642, Corneille's Polyeucte).^[2][7] Richelet records chérir sa patrie in 1680 and the Académie chérir le souvenir de quelqu'un in 1694.^[2]

The past participle chéri became an adjective (1669, Bossuet) and later a noun (1830–1833), used familiarly for a lover and as a term of endearment.^[2][7] The verb also gave enchérir (1172–1174), which lost its early sense “to raise in dignity” and kept that of making something dearer in price.^[7]

Timeline

• 1150 – Wace uses cherir for “to honour, flatter”.^[2]
• c. 1155 – It means “to love tenderly”, in Wace's Brut.^[2][7]
• 1172–1174 – The prefixed verb enchérir appears.^[7]
• 16th century – The sense “to flatter” goes out of use.^[2][7]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses it for valuing a thing highly.^[2]
• 1669 – The participle chéri is used as an adjective, in Bossuet.^[2][7]
• before 1857 – Chérie is used for a mistress, in Eugène Sue.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (literary) To love tenderly, to cherish a person: chérir ses petits-enfants.^[8][9]
2. To be deeply attached to something, to hold its memory almost in reverence: chérir la mémoire de son père.^[8][9]
3. To set great store by something, or to take a stubborn pleasure in it: chérir son malheur.^[8][5]

Word family

• chéri
• chérissable
• enchérir

Related words

• cher
• Latin cārus
• English cherish

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, 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. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette