compter

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɔ̃.te/^[1]

Forms

compter^[1] Old French cunter (1080), conter (1172–1175); the Latinizing spelling compter appeared in the 13th century and became usual in the 15th.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French cunter, inherited from Latin computō (“to calculate, reckon; to include in a count”), from com- and putō (“to prune; to settle an account; to reckon, think”).^[5][2][3][6] In spoken Latin “computāre” must have taken the sense “to tell”, through “to enumerate”.^[3][7] The etymological spelling “compter” allowed the senses to be divided: “compter” for counting, “conter” for telling, which are thus doublets, as is the English borrowing computer.^[2][3][1] German “zählen” “to count” and “erzählen” “to tell” show the same development.^[3]

Compare Italian contare, Occitan comtar, Catalan comptar, Spanish contar and Portuguese contar.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) as the intransitive cunter “to calculate”.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The transitive “to count up” is from the middle of the 12th century, conter les jorz in Chrétien de Troyes (1172–1175), and à compter du “from” in 1348.^[5][2] “To include in a count” is in Philippe de Thaon (1115–1130), and “to regard as” in Chrétien de Troyes; at the end of the 12th century it also meant “to charge, put a price on”.^[5] Molière used it of time allotted (1669), and Richelet records compter les morceaux “to be stingy” (1680).^[5][2]

Later senses include “to intend” (je compte partir), “to rely on” (compter sur), and the intransitive “to matter”, as in c'est l'intention qui compte.^[1][4] Derivatives include comptant (1265), comptoir (1354), comptable (1340) and compteur.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Cunter “to calculate”, in the Chanson de Roland.^[5]
• 1115–1130 – “To include in a count”, in Philippe de Thaon.^[5]
• 1172–1175 – Conter les jorz in Chrétien de Troyes.^[5]
• 1265 – Comptant.^[3]
• 1348 – À compter du, and the spelling compter.^[5][2]
• 1354 – Comptoir.^[3]
• 15th century – Compter becomes the usual spelling for counting.^[3][4]
• 1680 – Compter les morceaux, in Richelet.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To count: compter les voix, compter jusqu'à dix.^[7][1]
2. To include, number: la ville compte dix mille habitants.^[1]
3. To reckon, allow for; to charge: sans compter les frais.^[1][5]
4. Compter sur: to rely on.^[1]
5. To intend, expect to: je compte partir demain.^[1]
6. (intransitive) To matter, count: c'est l'intention qui compte.^[1]
7. À compter de: as from.^[5]

Word family

• compte
• comptant
• comptable
• comptage
• compteur
• comptoir
• compte-gouttes
• décompter
• escompter
• recompter

Related words

• conter
• raconter
• conte
• computer
• putatif
• Latin computō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ 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
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 992a
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette