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contenter

Etymology and origin of the French word contenter

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1314, Picard charter
Ultimate origin
Latin (contineō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin contentus
French content
French contenter

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kɔ̃.tɑ̃.te/[1]

Forms

contenter[1] First written contemter (1314).[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French content + -er, a verb formed on the adjective.[2][3][4][5] Content is from Latin contentus (“satisfied; content with little”), the past participle of contineō (“to hold together; to restrain”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A Picard charter of 1314 has contemter “to give satisfaction”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Froissart (14th century) has s'en contenter “to be satisfied with it”, and Commynes chascun se contenta de luy, everyone was pleased with him.[5][4] Amyot (1559) uses se contenter de in the restrictive modern sense “to make do with, to confine oneself to”.[2][5] In classical French contenter quelqu'un could mean to appease or pay off a creditor or claimant (Malherbe).[4][5]

La Fontaine wrote that he is mad who claims to please tout le monde et son père;[7][8] on ne peut pas contenter tout le monde is proverbial.[7][8]

Timeline

  • 1314 – Contemter, in a Picard charter.[2]
  • 14th century – Mécontenter.[6]
  • 15th century – The noun contentement.[6]
  • 1559 – Se contenter de, in Amyot.[2]
  • 1694 – The Académie records the verb.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To satisfy, please (someone) by giving them what they want: on ne saurait contenter tout le monde.[7][3]
  2. To satisfy (a need or desire): contenter sa curiosité.[7][4]
  3. Se contenter de: to be content with, make do with: se contenter de peu; to confine oneself to.[7][5]
  4. (classical) To appease; to pay off.[4][5]

Word family

  • contentement
  • mécontenter

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Contenter.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/contenter. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·