Etymologically
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début

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.by/[1]

Forms

début m (plural débuts)[1]

Etymology

It is the noun of débuter,[2][3][4][5] from “dé-” and but (“target, mark”).[6][7] The verb (1547) seems to have meant first “to move” and, in games, “to knock (another player's ball) away from the target” (1549), then “to play the first shot” (1640).[3] Littré explains “début” as the throw made in bowls from the place where the mark is.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Oudin (1642) has it for the first shot in certain games (bowls, billiards), played to decide who goes first.[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

Like the verb, which came to mean “to begin” (1649, with an object; 1665, without), it took the general sense “beginning of something” (Boileau, 1674: Que le début soit simple et n'ait rien d'affecté; 1664–1669 in the dictionaries), with au début and dès le début.[2][3][5][8] Furetière (1690) used début for one's first steps at court, and the plural débuts for an actor's first appearances (1771), whence débuter in the theatre (1750).[2][5][3] English debut was borrowed in 1751 for a first appearance in society.[9]

Timeline

  • 1547 – Débuter.[3]
  • 1642 – Début in games, in Oudin.[2]
  • 1674 – “Beginning”, in Boileau.[2]
  • 1690 – First steps, in Furetière.[2]
  • 1750 – Débuter on the stage.[3]
  • 1751 – English debut.[9]
  • 1771 – Débuts in the theatre.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A beginning, start: le début du film, au début, début mai: at the beginning of May, un début de rhume.[8][1]
  2. (plural) Débuts, first steps: faire ses débuts à la Comédie-Française.[8][5]
  3. (games) The first throw, to decide who plays first.[5][2]

Word family

  • débuter
  • débutant

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com