dam

Forms

dam m (plural dams)^[1] The Oaths of Strasbourg have damno; the subject form damz is found in the first half of the 10th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin damnum (“damage, harm”),^[2][4][5] taken over very early;^[4] Bloch and Wartburg and Wiktionary simply derive it from the Latin word, which Wiktionary calls inherited.^[6][1] The theological sense refers to damner and to the Church Latin use of the noun.^[2][6][7]

In Latin the noun meant harm, loss and expense, and in law the damages paid for a material loss, and by extension a fine or penalty.^[4] Rey denies any link felt in Latin with dō (“to give”), and notes that the Latin noun may be an old religious word related to daps (“sacrifice, ritual meal”), which has been compared with Old Armenian տաւն (tawn, “feast”) and Old Norse tafn (“sacrificial animal”).^[4]

Cognate with Occitan dam, Italian danno, Spanish daño and Portuguese dano.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 842 as damno in the Oaths of Strasbourg, meaning harm or injury to someone: Nul plaid … qui cist meon fradre Karle in damno sit (“no agreement … that would be to the harm of this my brother Charles”).^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

The sense “harm, injury to someone” faded from the 16th century,^[4] when the word tended to survive only in phrases such as à mon dam, à son dam;^[2] Bloch and Wartburg note it was little used even in the Middle Ages.^[6] It was replaced by its derivative dommage, first damage (1080), whose fuller form gave it an advantage.^[6][4] The Académie recorded in 1694 that the word was used only in à son dam, à vostre dam and in la peine du dam.^[10] The last phrase still in use today is au grand dam de.^[4]

In theology it came to mean the eternal punishment of the damned, deprived of the sight of God (1579).^[2][4]

Timeline

• 842 – Damno appears in the Oaths of Strasbourg.^[2][6]
• first half of the 10th century – The subject form damz is found in the Vie de saint Léger.^[2]
• 1080 – The derivative damage, later dommage, is recorded.^[4]
• c. 1450 – A nostre dam appears in the Mistère du Viel Testament.^[2]
• 16th century – The word becomes restricted to phrases such as à mon dam.^[2][6]
• 1579 – The theological sense is recorded in Foucqué's life of Christ.^[2][4]
• 1694 – The Académie lists la peine du dam.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. (literary) harm, detriment, now only in phrases: à son dam, au grand dam de (to the great displeasure or harm of): Le stade a fermé, au grand dam des supporters.^[9][2][3]
2. (theology) The punishment of the damned, eternal deprivation of the sight of God: la peine du dam.^[9][8][3]

Word family

• dommage
• dédommager
• dédommagement
• endommager
• endommagement

Related words

• damner
• condamner
• indemne
• Latin damnum

Usage notes

The pronunciation /dɑ̃/ is the traditional one; /dam/ is common but considered incorrect by the Grand Robert.^[7] The Wiktionnaire also records dam as an old interjection, a variant of dame, short for Notre-Dame ! or dame Dieu !.^[11]

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 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 10b
6. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Académie française (1694), Le Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise, 1st ed., Paris: Coignard
11. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org