décéder

Forms

décéder^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dēcēdō (“to go away, depart”), used especially with vīta (“life”) for “to depart from life, to die”.^[2][3][4] The Latin verb is formed from dē- (“away”) and cēdō (“to go”), the source of céder.^[3][5][6] The noun décès was borrowed earlier, in about 1050, from Latin dēcessus (“departure, death”), derived from the verb.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in the 14th century, in a manuscript of Henri de Gauchi's translation of the Gouvernement des princes, in the form decedir, meaning “to die”.^[2][5][7] The form décéder appears in Villon, about 1460.^[7][4]

Semantic evolution

The verb was always a formal word for dying.^[3][2] In the 16th century Calvin and Amyot still used it in ordinary prose (Amyot: Il deceda si pauvre, que l'on ne trouva pas chez lui de quoy le faire inhumer “he died so poor that nothing was found in his house to bury him with”).^[6] Today it belongs to administrative and legal language, or serves as a euphemism, mostly in the perfect tense and the past participle.^[3][8][2] From it was formed prédécéder “to die before another” (16th century), used mostly in matters of inheritance.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1050 – The noun décès is borrowed.^[3]
• 14th century – Decedir in Henri de Gauchi's translation of the Gouvernement des princes.^[2][5]
• c. 1460 – Décéder in Villon.^[7][4]
• 16th century – Prédécéder is formed.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (administration, law) To die, of a person; it takes the auxiliary être: Sa tante est décédée l'hiver dernier.^[8][2][7]

Word family

• prédécéder

Related words

• décès
• céder
• Latin dēcēdō

Usage notes

The verb is conjugated like céder and always takes être.^[5][7] The past participle is common as an adjective (décédé “deceased”).^[8]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert