Etymologically
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déclarer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.kla.ʁe/[1]

Forms

déclarer[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dēclārō (“to show clearly; to proclaim; to express”),[2][3][4][5][6][1] formed from dē- with intensive force and clārō (“to make clear”), from clārus (“clear”) (see clair).[3][5][7]

Until the 16th century it also meant “to make clear, explain” (about 1350), under the influence of Old French desclairier (about 1170), from Vulgar Latin *disclāriō; that verb disappeared about the 15th century before éclairer, after giving a hybrid déclairer, common in the 16th century and still alive in dialects.[2][3][4] Compare Old Occitan declarar, Spanish declarar and Italian dichiarare.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The statutes of the leper house of Noyon (about 1250) have it for “to make known openly”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It was used especially of feelings (sentiments bien déclarés, Molière, 1661).[2][3] The reflexive se déclarer “to show oneself openly” (Nicot, 1606) gave se déclarer pour or contre (Corneille, 1643), “to declare one's love” (1634 or 1661) and, of an illness, “to break out” (Madame de Sévigné, 1676).[2][3][9] From the 16th century it means to state formally that something is so: déclarer quelqu'un roturier (Montaigne, 1580), ennemis déclarés (Amyot, 1559), déclarer la guerre (La Fontaine, 1668).[2][3]

With a thing as subject, “to reveal” (before 1540) is now archaic or literary.[3] The noun déclaration (about 1200 or 1290) represents Latin declaratio.[4][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1170 – The older verb desclairier.[2]
  • c. 1250 – “To make known”.[2]
  • c. 1350 – “To explain”.[2]
  • 1559 – Ennemis déclarés, Amyot.[2]
  • 1606 – Se déclarer, Nicot.[2]
  • 1668 – Déclarer la guerre, La Fontaine.[2]
  • 1676 – Of an illness, Madame de Sévigné.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To declare, make known, state openly: déclarer ses intentions, son amour.[10][7]
  2. To proclaim officially; with an attribute, to pronounce: déclarer quelqu'un coupable, déclarer la séance ouverte, déclarer la guerre.[7][10]
  3. Se déclarer: to declare oneself; to declare one's love, se déclarer pour, contre, to come out for, against.[1][2]
  4. Se déclarer: of a fire or illness, to break out.[1][2]

Word family

  • déclarant
  • déclaré
  • déclaratoire
  • déclarable
  • déclaratif
  • déclaration
  • clair

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b 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. 3, 25b
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert