compositeur

Forms

compositeur m (plural compositeurs, feminine compositrice)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin compositor (“arranger, author, later conciliator”), from compōnō (“to put together, arrange”).^{[2][3][4][1][5]} Littré gives Italian compositore as the Italian counterpart.^[6] The Petit Robert and the Grand Robert treat it as formed on composer.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1274, in the cartulary of Fervaques, for a person who settles a dispute, an arbitrator.^[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The legal sense of the Latin borrowing, “one who settles a dispute”, gave way to négociateur and arbitre, and survives only in the legal phrase amiable compositeur, an arbitrator who settles a case by agreement.^[4][3] From 1406 the word named the author of a work, a use that faded and disappeared in the 17th century once the musical sense had taken hold.^[2][4]

In printing it named the typesetter who assembles the type, from 1513 (Jean Lemaire de Belges).^[2][4] The sense “composer of music” is recorded by Robert Estienne in 1549 and has become the ordinary one.^[2][4]

Timeline

• 1274 – “One who settles a dispute”, in the cartulary of Fervaques.^[2]
• 1406 – “Author of a work”, in the journal of Nicolas de Baye.^[2]
• 1513 – The printing sense, in Jean Lemaire de Belges.^[2]
• 1549 – Robert Estienne records the sense “composer of music”.^[2][3]
• 17th century – The sense “author of a work” disappears.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A composer, a person who writes music.^[7][3]
2. (printing, dated) A compositor, a typesetter.^[7][3]
3. (law) Amiable compositeur: an arbitrator charged with settling a dispute amicably.^[3][4]

Related words

• composer
• composition
• Latin compositor

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h 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, 985b
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert