cheminer

Forms

cheminer^[1] Anglo-Norman chemener and chiminer.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French chemin + -er.^[3][4][5][6] Wiktionary also traces it straight to a verb Vulgar Latin *cammīnō.^[1] The noun chemin itself is from Vulgar Latin *camminus, a word of Celtic origin.^[7]

Cognate with Italian camminare, Spanish caminar, Portuguese caminhar and Occitan caminar.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, in Chrétien de Troyes's Érec et Énide (1165–1170), means to walk or make one's way.^[3][6] Littré quotes the 12th-century Livre des Rois: Cheminanz i passerent “travelling, they passed by there”.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The verb has survived from the Middle Ages to today even though it began to sound old early: Richelet called it “a little old” in 1680.^[3][9] At the end of the 17th century it took on the figurative sense of making progress or getting on towards one's ends (1693, in Bouhours).^[3][9][6] In the 19th century it was said of a road running along a certain course,^[6] and military engineers used it for advancing on a besieged place by approach works (1863).^[3][9]

Timeline

• 1165–1170 – First used by Chrétien de Troyes in Érec et Énide.^[3]
• 1680 – Richelet marks it as somewhat old.^[3][9]
• 1693 – Bouhours records the sense “to make progress”.^[3][9]
• 1863 – Littré gives the military sense.^[3][9]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make one's way, to walk, especially slowly or over a long and tiring road: nous avons cheminé tout l'après-midi.^[5][3]
2. To move forward slowly, to make one's way (of a thing); (figurative) of an idea, to gain ground little by little.^[5]
3. Of a road or path, to run along a certain course.^[6]
4. (military) To advance towards a besieged place by sapping and approach works.^[5][3]

Word family

• cheminement

Related words

• chemin
• acheminer
• chemineau
• cheminot

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b 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