coopérer

Forms

coopérer^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin cooperor (“to do something together with someone”), said especially of God and of prayer.^[2][3][4] The Latin verb is formed of cum (“with”) and operor (“to work”), from opus (“work”).^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It came in as a term of theology, first as the present participle in grace cooperante (1470), grace that works together with a person's own effort.^[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg date the verb to about 1390, the Grand Larousse to the late 14th century, and the TLFi notes a date of 1495 given by Dauzat.^[6][5][2]

Semantic evolution

From theology, where to cooperate was to answer the action of grace with one's own effort, the verb passed into common use in the lay sense “work together with someone” (1525).^[3][2] Its present participle coopérant, older than the verb, became a noun about 1960 for someone working abroad under a cooperation agreement between states, very common in African French.^[3]

Timeline

• 1470 – Grace cooperante in theology.^[2][3]
• 1525 – The general sense “act jointly with”, in Lefèvre d'Étaples's New Testament.^[2]
• 1636 – Monet records coopérer à la grâce.^[5]
• c. 1960 – Coopérant becomes a noun.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. Coopérer à: to work together with others towards a common task, contribute: coopérer à la réussite d’un projet.^[7][2]
2. (intransitive) To cooperate.^[7][1]
3. (theology) Coopérer à la grâce: to answer the action of grace by one's own effort.^[5][8]

Word family

• coopératif
• coopérant

Related words

• coopération
• opérer
• Latin cooperor

References

1. ^ a b c 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 e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1138b
5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette