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
- To count: compter les voix, compter jusqu'à dix.[7][1]
- To include, number: la ville compte dix mille habitants.[1]
- To reckon, allow for; to charge: sans compter les frais.[1][5]
- Compter sur: to rely on.[1]
- To intend, expect to: je compte partir demain.[1]
- (intransitive) To matter, count: c'est l'intention qui compte.[1]
- À compter de: as from.[5]
Word family
- compte
- comptant
- comptable
- comptage
- compteur
- comptoir
- compte-gouttes
- décompter
- escompter
- recompter
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ 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
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 992a
- ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
- ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette