compte

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɔ̃t/^[1]

Forms

compte m (plural comptes)^[1] Old French cunte and conte; the etymological spelling compte appears in the later 13th century, and conte survived for this sense until the 17th.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French conte, inherited from Late Latin computus (“calculation; reckoned amount; estimate”), from Latin computō (“to reckon”).^[2][3][5][6] The ⟨p⟩ was restored after the Latin in the 13th century, and the spelling “compte” was kept for reckoning while “conte”, of the same origin, was left for “story”; the verb “compter” was respelled in the same way.^[2][4]

“Compte courant” (1675) is a calque of Italian conto corrente, recorded from 1447–1464.^[2]

Cognate with Italian conto, Spanish cuenta and Portuguese conta.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

As cunte it is found about 1100 in the Chanson de Roland, meaning the reckoning of a number: Cinquante mille chevaliers ont par cunte (“they have fifty thousand knights by count”).^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Wace (1155) has cunte rendre de “to give an explanation of”, and tenir conte de “to take into account” is found in 1220–1225.^[2] The financial sense, a statement of receipts and spending, follows in the 13th century (compe, 1247, rendre compte, 1262), and the chambre des comptes, the court auditing royal finances, is named in 1309.^[2]

Many phrases followed: fin de conte (about 1350), which became en fin de compte (Furetière, 1690); à bon compte “cheaply” (late 15th century); au bout du compte (Montaigne, 1595); trouver son compte “to find it to one's advantage” (Corneille, 1634); and régler ses comptes (before 1704, Bossuet).^[2] Se rendre compte de “to realize” is recorded before 1710, in Fléchier.^[2] The menacing son compte est bon, recorded by the Académie in 1835, is found in 1794.^[8][2]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Cunte “reckoning”, in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• 1155 – Cunte rendre “to give an explanation”, in Wace.^[2]
• 1247 – A statement of debit and credit.^[2]
• later 13th century – The spelling compte.^[2]
• 1309 – Chambre des comptes.^[2]
• 1595 – Au bout du compte in Montaigne.^[2]
• 1675 – Compte courant, after Italian.^[2]
• 1690 – En fin de compte in Furetière.^[2]
• before 1710 – Se rendre compte de.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A count, a calculation; the total found: faire le compte des dépenses, le compte est bon.^[4][9]
2. What is owed or due to someone: le compte n'y est pas.^[9]
3. An account (in a bank or with a firm): compte en banque, compte courant.^[1][2]
4. A statement of receipts and spending: tenir les comptes.^[10][2]
5. A user account (on a computer or website).^[1]
6. Rendre compte de: to report on, give an account of, se rendre compte de: to realize.^[2]
7. Tenir compte de, prendre en compte: to take into account.^[2][1]
8. En fin de compte, au bout du compte, tout compte fait: all things considered.^[2][1]
9. À bon compte: cheaply, pour le compte de: on behalf of.^[2][1]

Related words

• compter
• conte
• Latin computus

Usage notes

The ⟨p⟩ is not pronounced, in compte as in compter, comptable and comptoir.^[2] Compte, conte and comte are pronounced alike.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 996b
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)