Etymologically
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conclure

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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

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