conclure

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɔ̃.klyʁ/^[1]

Forms

conclure^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin conclūdō (“to shut up, enclose; to end; to infer”), formed from cum (“with”) and claudō (“to close”), the source of clore.^[2][3][4][5] In Church Latin it was used for making peace.^[2] Wiktionary treats the Old French verb as already borrowed.^[1] Cognate with Old Occitan concluire, Spanish concluir and Italian conchiudere.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Oxford Psalter (early 12th century) it means to shut in, enclose.^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to enclose”, still used figuratively in the 16th century for shutting someone in an argument, went out of use before the 17th century.^[2][7] It was replaced by the abstract sense of establishing what follows from earlier arguments (Brunetto Latini, about 1260), which also prevailed over “to decide” (15th century, Commynes).^[2][7] In Old French and Anglo-Norman it also meant to defeat someone in argument, to convict.^[8][3]

The verb took up the Latin sense of negotiating to an end: alliance conclute (1513), a peace, then a bargain.^[2][7] Used absolutely, concluez ! was said to a long-winded lawyer (Furetière, 1690).^[7] In informal use conclure also means to have sex with someone.^[1] Derivatives are concluant and conclusion.^[1][3]

Timeline

• c. 1120 – “To enclose”, in the Oxford Psalter.^[7]
• c. 1260 – Brunetto Latini: to draw a conclusion.^[7]
• 15th century – Commynes: conclure de, to decide.^[7]
• 1513 – Alliance conclute.^[7]
• 1549 – Estienne: conclure à la mort.^[7]
• 1690 – Furetière: concluez !.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To bring to an end by agreement; to conclude: conclure un accord, la paix, marché conclu !.^[9][1]
2. To infer, deduce: j'en conclus que….^[9]
3. Conclure à: to come to a conclusion in favour of.^[9][2]
4. To end (a speech, a book).^[9]
5. (informal) To score, to have sex with someone.^[1]

Word family

• concluant
• conclusion

Related words

• reclure
• inclure
• occlure
• exclure
• clore
• Latin conclūdō

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1010b
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert