dénoncer

Forms

dénoncer^[1] Old French denuntier (1174), then denoncier (1260).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French denuntier, from Latin dēnūntiō (“to make known, announce, declare”), formed with intensive dē- from nūntiō (“to announce”).^[2][3][4][5] The DHLF leaves open whether it was inherited or borrowed, noting that Italian dinunziare and Spanish denunciar suggest an inherited verb.^[3] Bloch and Wartburg say that, like dénier, neither its form nor its sense shows whether it stayed in popular use or was taken again from Latin, though elsewhere it has the look of a learned word; it developed in parallel with Old French noncier “to announce”, from the same Latin verb.^[6] It is related to nonce.^[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as denuntier “to announce” in 1174, in Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence's life of Thomas Becket.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The neutral sense “to announce, make known” has gone out of use except in official and legal contexts, as in dénoncer un traité “to give notice of the end of a treaty”.^[3][8] From the 13th century the verb was specialised in a bad sense, “to point out as guilty” an act (1260) and a person.^[3][2] A literary use with a thing as subject, “to reveal, betray”, combines the first sense with the pejorative value of the second.^[3]

The noun dénonciation was borrowed in 1268 from Latin, and dénonciateur (1328) replaced Old French denunceor.^[3]

Timeline

• 1174 – Denuntier “to announce” in Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence.^[2]
• 1260 – Denoncier “to report a guilty act” in Li Livres de Jostice et de Plet.^[2]
• 1268 – Dénonciation is borrowed from Latin.^[3]
• 1283 – Beaumanoir writes denoncier le fet.^[2]
• 1694 – The Académie records dénoncer la guerre.^[9]

Meanings

Verb

1. (dated) To announce officially;^[8][9] (law) to give notice of a legal act to third parties.^[8][9]
2. To give notice of the end of an agreement: dénoncer un accord commercial.^[8][1]
3. To denounce, expose something wrongful: dénoncer la corruption.^[8][1]
4. To inform on someone, report them to the authorities: il a dénoncé son voisin à la police.^[8][1]
5. Se dénoncer: to give oneself up.^[1]

Word family

• dénonciation
• dénonçable
• indénonçable

Related words

• nonce
• annoncer
• dénier

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 43b
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ 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. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse