compagnon
Pronunciation
- IPA: /kɔ̃.pa.ɲɔ̃/[1]
Forms
compagnon m (plural compagnons, feminine compagne)[1] Old French nominative cumpainz, compain, oblique cumpaignun, compaignon.[2][3][4]
Etymology
It is inherited from Old French compaignon, the old oblique case, inherited from Late Latin companio (“companion”), through the accusative companiōnem; the old nominative compain survives in copain.[2][3][5] The Late Latin word, first found in the “Lex Salica”, is formed from cum (“with”) and pānis (“bread”), “one who shares bread with”.[2][6][7]
It is a calque of a Germanic military word brought by the Germanic soldiers of the late Roman army, such as Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌰 (gahlaiba, “messmate”), from 𐌲𐌰- (ga-, “with”) and 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍃 (hlaifs, “bread”); compare Old High German galeipo.[2][3][5][1] It probably existed beside Latin contubernālis (“tent-mate”), which may have favoured the calque with “com-”.[2][3]
The shifting stress of compánio, companiónem explains the separate nominative and oblique forms, as in Old Occitan companh and companho; compare Italian compagno.[4]
Earliest recorded meaning
The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) uses cumpainz and cumpaignun for someone who lives habitually with another: ne Oliver, por ce qu'est sis cumpainz “nor Oliver, because he is his companion”.[2][4]
Semantic evolution
The old sense, someone who shares one's life and activities, gradually gave way to more precise words such as condisciple, commensal and collègue; today it mostly means a person who goes with another (1549), as in compagnon de voyage and, from 1568, compagnon d'infortune.[3][2] It has also been said of an object one is attached to (1535).[3]
A special sense, a worker who has finished his apprenticeship (1455), lives on in the crafts and gave compagnonnage (1719), the old workers' guilds; in freemasonry it is a grade (1866).[2][3][5] The feminine compagne (before 1200) was formed on the nominative compain.[3][5]
Timeline
- c. 1100 – Cumpainz, cumpaignun, in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
- before 1200 – The feminine compangne.[3]
- 1455 – A journeyman who has completed his apprenticeship.[2]
- 1549 – “One who goes with someone”, in Robert Estienne.[2][7]
- 1568 – Compagnon de with a word of feeling (d'infortune).[3]
- 1719 – Compagnonnage.[3][5]
- 1866 – A grade in freemasonry.[2]
Meanings
Noun
- A companion, someone who shares another's life, work or activities: compagnon de voyage, compagnon d'armes, compagnon de route.[8][1]
- A partner in life, a man living with a woman.[1]
- A friend, mate, (dated) un joyeux compagnon, a jolly fellow.[1][8]
- Compagnon d'infortune: a fellow sufferer.[1][3]
- A journeyman, a craftsman who has finished his apprenticeship, especially a member of a compagnonnage.[1][2]
- (freemasonry) The second grade, a fellow craft.[2]
Word family
- compagne
- accompagner
- compagnonnage
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert