destiner

Forms

destiner^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dēstinō (“to make fast, fix, assign, decide”).^[2][3][4][5] Rey analyses the Latin verb as dē- and an unattested form with a nasal suffix corresponding to stō (“to stand”), found only in compounds such as obstinō, the source of obstiner.^[3] Littré gives the same analysis.^[6]

Cognate with Occitan destinar, Spanish destinar and Italian destinare.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is in Wace's Brut (1155), with the sense “to announce”;^[2][3] the Anglo-Norman Dictionary has the verb from 1121–1125.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Rey notes that all the verb's senses were in place before the end of the 12th century.^[3] From about 1160 it meant “to determine, fix”, in particular “to set something aside for someone or for a use”, while about 1170 it took the sense “to allot a fate to someone” (Chrétien de Troyes).^[2][3] The reflexive soi destiner “to set oneself a goal” appears in Chrétien's Perceval (1168–1190).^[2][3] Some medieval senses, such as “to announce” and “to wish”, died out at the end of the Middle Ages,^[3] and until the 17th century it also meant “to decide, to plan”.^[4] The Académie in 1694 still records destiner de with an infinitive, “to resolve to do”.^[8][6]

Montaigne (1580) used it of assigning a person to an occupation, and Amyot (mid-16th century) of fixing the use of a thing.^[8]

Timeline

• 1155 – Destiner “to announce” in Wace's Brut.^[2]
• c. 1160 – “To determine, fix”, in the Roman d'Eneas.^[2]
• c. 1170 – “To reserve a fate for someone”, in Chrétien de Troyes's Erec et Enide.^[2][3]
• 1168–1190 – The reflexive soi destiner “to set oneself the task of”.^[2]
• mid-16th century – Amyot uses it for fixing the use of a thing.^[8][9]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses it of assigning a person to a career.^[8][9]
• 1694 – The Académie records destiner de + infinitive “to resolve to”.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. (dated) To fix the destiny of someone: Le sort lui destinait une longue vie.^[9][2]
2. To intend or reserve something for someone: Je ne sais pas à qui cette lettre était destinée.^[9][6]
3. To set aside a thing for a particular use: Il destine ses économies à l'achat d'une maison.^[9][6]
4. To assign a person to a job or career: Ses parents le destinaient à la médecine.^[9][6]
5. Se destiner à: to plan to take up a career: Elle se destine à l'enseignement.^[9][6]

Word family

• destin
• destinataire
• destinée

Related words

• destination
• prédestiner
• obstiner
• Latin dēstinō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 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, 55b
6. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
8. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert