Etymologically
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disparaître

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dis.pa.ʁɛtʁ/[1]

Forms

disparaître[1] The Académie adopted the spelling disparaître only in 1835; the 1990 reform allows disparaitre.[2][1]

Etymology

It is from French dis- + paraître, formed after Late Latin dispāreō (“to cease to be visible”), which had given Old French disparoir.[2][3][4][5] The TLFi dates “disparoir” to 1170, the Grand Robert to the 13th century.[2][4] Littré explained “disparaître” from a supposed Latin “*disparescere”.[6] Compare Italian disparire.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lemaire de Belges uses it in 1509, in the reflexive se disparaître, meaning to be seen no more; the GLLF and Petit Robert date it to 1606, in Crespin.[2][3][7][8] The older disparoir is in the Life of Edward the Confessor: Il disparuit devant le jur (“he vanished before the day”).[6]

Semantic evolution

It was used first as a reflexive verb and then without se.[3] Madame de Sévigné (1676) uses it of things being dispelled, and La Bruyère (1688) of ceasing to exist, a euphemism for dying, Racine's Esther (1689) has aussitôt de la terre ils disparurent tous.[2][3] Of objects it has meant “to go missing, be stolen” since Richelet (1710).[2]

The derivative disparition (1559) seems not to have been used before 1611, when disparution is found, and was taken up again from 1725.[3] Littré notes that the verb takes avoir for the action and, in older or literary use, être for the resulting state.[4][8]

Timeline

  • 1170 – Old French disparoir.[2]
  • 1509 – Se disparaître in Lemaire de Belges.[2]
  • 1559 – The derivative disparition.[3]
  • 1676 – Of things, “to be dispelled”, in Madame de Sévigné.[2]
  • 1688 – “To cease to exist”, in La Bruyère.[2]
  • 1710 – Of objects, “to go missing”.[2]
  • 1835 – The Académie's spelling disparaître.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To disappear, vanish from sight: le soleil disparaît derrière un nuage.[8][9]
  2. To be hidden: la maison disparaissait derrière les arbres.[8][9]
  3. (of a person) To leave suddenly; to go missing.[7][8]
  4. (of an object) To be lost or stolen.[2][3]
  5. To cease to exist, (euphemism) to die.[3][6]
  6. (of a feeling or pain) To fade, be dispelled.[3][7]

Word family

  • disparition
  • disparu

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c 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. 7, 646a
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)