Etymologically
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créer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kʁe.e/[1]

Forms

créer[1] Crier (about 1119), creer (1155, Wace).[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin creō (“to create, produce, beget; to appoint”).[2][3][4][5][6][1] The Latin word was at first a rustic term meaning “to make grow, produce”, from the same root as crēscō (“to grow”) (see croître); it came to mean “to bring into being”, with a legal sense, “to appoint”, and a Christian one, “to create out of nothing”, translating Ancient Greek κτίζω (ktízō).[3]

Cognate with Occitan crear, Spanish crear, Italian creare and Portuguese criar.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Philippe de Thaon's Comput (about 1119) uses crier in religion, of God drawing the world out of nothing.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Wace (1130–40) uses it of a person giving life to a being.[2][3] About 1350 it took the legal sense “to appoint someone to an office”, Amyot has les prebstres le creerent augur.[2][7] Cotgrave (1611) records “to found, establish”, and Furetière (1690) says it is also used of men for the things they invent.[2][3] In the theatre créer un rôle “to play a part for the first time” is dated 1776 by Rey and quoted from 1811 by the BHVF, créer un spectacle “to stage for the first time” dates from 1811.[3][9]

Timeline

  • c. 1119 – Crier, of God's creation, Philippe de Thaon.[2]
  • 1155 – Creer, Wace.[2]
  • c. 1350 – “To appoint to an office”, Gilles li Muisis.[2]
  • 1611 – “To found, establish”, Cotgrave.[2]
  • 1690 – Of inventors, Furetière.[2]
  • 1776 – Créer un rôle.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (religion) To create, bring into being out of nothing: Dieu créa le ciel et la terre.[8][1]
  2. To make, produce (something new): créer une œuvre, un style; to invent.[8][10]
  3. To found, set up: créer une entreprise, des emplois.[2][8]
  4. To cause, give rise to: créer des difficultés.[8]
  5. (theatre) To play (a part) for the first time; to stage (a work) for the first time.[3][8]

Word family

  • recréer
  • incréé
  • créatif
  • création
  • créateur
  • créature
  • procréer
  • récréation
  • croître
  • Latin creō

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1296a
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse