conseiller

conseiller¹ to advise

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɔ̃.sɛ.je/^[1]
• IPA: /kɔ̃.se.je/^[1]

Forms

conseiller^[1]

Etymology

The verb is inherited from Vulgar Latin consiliō,^[2][3][4][5] a form attested in the Salic law in the sense “to ask advice”,^[2] beside the classical deponent Latin cōnsilior (“to deliberate; to give advice”), from cōnsilium (“deliberation; advice”), the source of conseil.^[2][6][7]

Cognate with Italian consigliare, Old Occitan coselhar, Catalan consellar, Spanish consejar and Portuguese aconselhar.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Vie de saint Alexis (mid-11th century) conseilier a means “to speak in secret to someone”: Süef l'apelet, si li ad conseilét (“he called him softly and spoke to him in secret”), a sense found only in Old and Middle French.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to guide someone by telling him what to do” is in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100: Conseilez moi come mi home saive),^[2][9] and conseiller quelque chose à quelqu'un in Chrétien de Troyes's Cligès (1165–1175).^[2][6] The GLLF records the literary sense “to urge, prompt”, of a feeling.^[7]

The ironic je vous conseille de…, meaning “you had better not…”, is found from 1796 (Pigault-Lebrun), well before the TLFi's quotation from Zola (1880).^[10] déconseiller has had its present sense since 1175.^[6]

Timeline

• Mid-11th century – “To speak in secret”, in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[2]
• c. 1100 – “To guide”, in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• 1165–1175 – Conseiller quelque chose à quelqu'un, in Cligès.^[2]
• 1175 – Déconseiller “to advise against”.^[6]
• 1796 – Ironic je vous conseille de….^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. Conseiller quelque chose à quelqu'un: to advise, recommend: Je vous conseille la prudence, conseiller à quelqu'un de (and infinitive).^[11][1]
2. Conseiller quelqu'un: to guide, counsel someone.^[11][7][1]
3. (literary) Of a feeling, to prompt, urge (someone).^[7]
4. (ironic) Je vous conseille de vous plaindre !: you are hardly in a position to complain!^[10][2]

Word family

• déconseiller
• conseilleur

conseiller² adviser

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɔ̃.sɛ.je/^[1]
• IPA: /kɔ̃.se.je/^[1]

Forms

conseiller m (plural conseillers, feminine conseillère)^[1] Old French conseillier, conseller (12th century); the feminine conseillère is recorded in 1596, first for a counsellor's wife.^[11][9][7]

Etymology

The noun is inherited from Latin cōnsiliārius (“adviser; interpreter”),^{[3][4][6][12]} from cōnsilium (“advice; council”).^[7] Wiktionary instead gives cōnsiliātor and notes that the word is equivalent to conseil + -ier.^[1] It has driven out its old doublet conseilleur (about 1200), formed on the verb.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Séquence de sainte Eulalie (881) has Elle n'out escoltet les mals conselliers, “she would not listen to the evil counsellors”.^[9][6]

Semantic evolution

Beside its general sense, a person who gives advice, it has named since 1340 a person who sits on a council;^[6] the Anglo-Norman texts already use it for a member of the King's Council.^[13] The GLLF dates its use for members of administrative councils and for high-ranking magistrates to 1464.^[7] Figuratively it is said of what prompts action, as in Musset's Orgueil ! le plus fatal des conseillers humains.^[11][7] The preciosity of Molière's time called a mirror le conseiller des grâces.^[7]

Timeline

• 881 – Conselliers in the Séquence de sainte Eulalie.^[9]
• c. 1200 – The doublet conseilleur.^[6]
• 1340 – A member of a council.^[6]
• 1464 – Of magistrates and councillors.^[7]
• 1596 – The feminine conseillère.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. An adviser, counsellor: un bon conseiller, la colère est mauvaise conseillère, conseiller d'orientation, careers adviser.^[11][1]
2. A member of a council, a councillor: conseiller municipal, conseiller d'État.^[11][7]
3. A judge of certain courts: conseiller à la Cour de cassation.^[11][7]

Related words

• conseil

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 h i j 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1069b
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
12. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1070b
13. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)