Etymologically
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différent

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /di.fe.ʁɑ̃/[1]

Forms

différent (feminine différente, masculine plural différents, feminine plural différentes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin differēns (“differing”), the present participle of differō (“to carry apart; to differ”) (whence différer), from dis- and ferō (“to carry”).[2][3][4][1][5] The noun différend “dispute” is the same word, distinguished by its spelling.[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Froissart (about 1360) uses it of things or people that differ; in the late 14th century he also has it as a noun meaning “difference”, and the Ménagier de Paris (1393) has the adjective.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Froissart writes of the French and English being differens ensemble, divided.[6] In the 16th century de differente opinion is in Castelnau.[6] Placed before a plural noun without an article it became an indefinite adjective, “various”, in Pascal (1669): différentes personnes me l'ont dit.[2][4] C'est différent is used to set a particular case apart.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1360 – First record, Froissart.[4]
  • 1393 – Ménagier de Paris.[2]
  • 1669 – “Various”, Pascal.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. different: il est très différent de son frère, c'est différent.[7][1]
  2. (before a plural noun) Various, several: à différentes reprises, différentes personnes.[6][2]

Word family

  • différemment

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 73b
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert