Etymologically
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commencer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/[1]

Forms

commencer[1] Old French comencier, commencier.[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French comencier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *cominitiō, from cum (“with”) and initiō (“to initiate; to begin”).[3][4][2][5][1] Latin “initiāre”, from initium (“beginning”), passed in the 4th century from “to initiate” to “to begin”, and was soon strengthened with “cum-”.[6][4][7]

Of the three classical Latin verbs for “to begin”, “coepisse” disappeared, incipiō survives in Romanian începe and “inchoāre” in Occitan.[6][4] Cognate with Occitan començar, Catalan començar, Spanish comenzar and Italian cominciare.[6][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 10th-century Fragment de Valenciennes (Sermon sur Jonas): quant oi comenciest “when you begin today”.[9][3][7]

Semantic evolution

Commencer à with an infinitive is in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100), commencer de in Montaigne (1580) and commencer par in 1601.[3][4] Vaugelas tried to distinguish commencer de (for a lasting action) from commencer à (for a single one), but the distinction faded in the 17th century.[4]

The verb once took a person or animal as object: commencer un élève was to give a pupil the first lessons, commencer un chien to begin training it.[4][10] The intransitive use with a thing as subject dates from before 1317 (Joinville).[3][4] Commencement dates from 1119 and recommencer from 1080.[4]

Timeline

  • 10th century – Comenciest in the Fragment de Valenciennes.[3][9]
  • c. 1100 – Commencer à with an infinitive in the Chanson de Roland.[3]
  • 1119 – Commencement.[4]
  • Before 1317 – Intransitive use in Joinville.[3]
  • 1470 – Commençant.[3][4]
  • 1580 – Commencer de in Montaigne.[3]
  • 1601 – Commencer par.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To begin, start: commencer un travail.[10][11]
  2. Commencer à, commencer de: to begin to do: il commence à pleuvoir.[3][10]
  3. Commencer par: to begin with, do first.[3]
  4. To be at the beginning of: le mot qui commence la phrase.[10][9]
  5. (intransitive) To begin, get under way: le film commence à huit heures.[12]
  6. (dated) To give a pupil the first lessons.[10]

Word family

  • commencement
  • recommencer

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 943a
  6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)