Etymologically
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discuter

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dis.ky.te/[1]

Forms

discuter[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin discutiō (“to examine, investigate, discuss”), in classical Latin “to shatter, shake apart; to dispel”, from dis- and quatiō (“to shake”).[2][3][4][5][6] The sense “to examine” arose in Church Latin, where it rendered Ancient Greek ἐξετάζω (exetázō, “to examine”).[3] The noun discussion was borrowed earlier, about 1200.[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

A document of 1318 uses it for examining the arguments for and against something.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Calvin (before 1564) uses discuter si for disputing whether something is so: Je ne discute point si Jesus-Christ a pu imprimer sur une pierre la forme de son pied.[2][8] Furetière (1690) records a legal sense, the seizure of a debtor's goods.[2]

Intransitive discuter “to argue, disagree” is in Sieyès (1789), with a polemical tone; the neutral sense “to talk, exchange ideas” followed (1817, Maine de Biran).[2][3] Stendhal (1836) applies it to a person submitted to criticism.[2] Derivatives include discutable (1791), indiscutable (1832) and the familiar discutailler (1881).[3]

Timeline

  • 1318 – To examine the pros and cons.[2]
  • before 1564 – Discuter si, Calvin.[2]
  • 1690 – Legal sense, Furetière.[2]
  • 1789 – Intransitive “to argue”, Sieyès.[2]
  • 1817 – “To talk, exchange ideas”.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To discuss, debate, examine for and against: discuter un projet de loi, ça se discute.[9][1]
  2. To question, dispute: discuter l'autorité de qqn.[9]
  3. To argue against (a decision or an order).[9][2]
  4. To talk, chat: discuter avec des amis, (familiar) discuter le coup.[1][5]

Word family

  • indiscutable
  • discutable

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 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. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 94a
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ 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