Etymologically
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courant

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ku.ʁɑ̃/[1]

Forms

courant (feminine courante, masculine plural courants, feminine plural courantes)[1] Old French curant, corant.[2][3]

Etymology

It is the present participle of courir, used as an adjective and a noun: from French courir + -ant.[2][4][5][6] Wiktionary traces it, through Old French, to Latin currēns (“running”), from currō (“to run”).[1] The noun “la courante” “diarrhoea” may be a misreading of “courance”, found in this sense from the 12th to the 16th century.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it means running, of a horse (cheval curant) and of flowing water (ewe curant).[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From “running” came chien courant, a hound that chases its game (about 1270), and running handwriting (1413, lettre courant).[2] The noun, a current of water, is found about 1210.[4][5] With the sense “in progress, present”, jour courant is in Sorel (1623) and affaires courantes in Rousseau (1772); “usual, ordinary” is in Pasquier (before 1615), prix courant in Colbert (1669).[2]

In the noun the electric current is dated 1788, and figurative currents of opinion and ideas followed.[7] Se tenir au courant “to keep informed” is found in 1847.[8] In commercial language le cinq courant means the fifth of this month.[7][9]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Cheval curant, ewe curant, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1210 – The noun, a current.[4]
  • c. 1270 – Chien courant.[2]
  • 1413 – Lettre courant, running script.[2]
  • Before 1615 – “Usual”, Pasquier.[2]
  • 1669 – Prix courant, Colbert.[2]
  • 1772 – Affaires courantes, Rousseau.[2]
  • 1788 – Electric current.[7]
  • 1847 – Se tenir au courant.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Running: chien courant, a hound, eau courante, running water, main courante, a handrail.[7][10]
  2. current, present: l'année courante, le dix courant, les affaires courantes.[7][1]
  3. Common, everyday, usual: un mot courant, monnaie courante.[2][1]
  4. Fluent: parler un anglais courant.[1]

Noun

  1. A current of water or air: nager contre le courant, courant d'air, a draught.[7]
  2. An electric current: une panne de courant.[7][1]
  3. A current of thought, a trend: les courants d'opinion.[1][7]
  4. Dans le courant de: in the course of, être au courant, to be informed.[9][8]

Preposition

  1. During, in the course of: courant novembre.[9]

Word family

  • couramment
  • courante
  • contre-courant

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)