décorer

Forms

décorer^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin decorō (“to adorn, to embellish; figuratively, to honour”),^[2][3][4][5] derived from decus (“ornament, beauty, honour”).^[3][4][6] Like its synonym decor, this noun belongs with deceō (“to be fitting”), the source of décent.^[3][6][7] Cognate with Occitan decorar, Spanish decorar and Italian decorare.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1350 in the poems of Gilles Li Muisis, in the figurative sense “to honour”.^[2][3][6]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to honour” went out of use in the 16th century,^[3] though Littré quotes Du Bellay and Marot using decoré for “honoured, made illustrious”.^[8] Its idea lives on in the special sense “to award a decoration to”, recorded in 1795 (Mme de Genlis), after the corresponding sense of décoration;^[2][3] décoré “wearing a decoration” followed in 1812.^[2]

From the 14th century the verb also meant “to embellish, adorn”, first with a person as subject (Oresme, about 1370), later with a thing (Palissy, 1563).^[2][3] The figurative “to dress up with a flattering name” is in Voltaire.^[2][7]

In African French, after the custom of pinning banknotes on someone's clothes like medals, décorer quelqu'un can mean to honour someone by giving them presents in public.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1350 – Gilles Li Muisis uses it for “to honour”.^[2][3]
• c. 1370 – Nicole Oresme uses it for “to embellish”.^[2][4][8]
• 1393 – The derivative décoration appears.^[4][3]
• 1563 – Bernard Palissy uses it of things that adorn.^[2][3]
• 1767 – Voltaire uses it for “to give a deceptive appearance to”.^[2]
• 1795 – Mme de Genlis uses it for “to award a decoration”.^[2][3]
• 1812 – Décoré “wearing a decoration” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To decorate, to adorn (a place or object) with things that make it more attractive: décorer une salle de fête.^[9][10][11]
2. (of things) To embellish, to ornament (a place): des tapisseries décoraient le château.^[9][7]
3. (figurative) To dress up (something) with a flattering name.^[9][7][8]
4. To award (someone) a décoration or medal: il a été décoré de la Légion d'honneur.^[10][9][8]
5. (Africa) To honour (someone) by giving them presents in public.^[3]

Word family

• décorateur
• décoratif
• décoration
• décoré

Related words

• décent
• décorum
• Latin decorō

References

1. ^ a b 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 j k l m 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 26b
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)