Etymologically
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disposer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dis.po.ze/[1]

Forms

disposer[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dispōnō (“to set out, arrange; to order, regulate”),[2][3][4][1] reshaped after poser, as in composer and déposer.[2][5][6][7] The Latin verb is formed with dis- (“apart”) and pōnō (“to put, place”), “to place separately and distinctly”.[3][6] Littré notes that the French verb has another origin than the Latin one, so that the Latin participle dispositus must have influenced the sense.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The GLLF finds the participle about 1180, in the Enfances Vivien, of the state of the body, and the Grand Robert gives “to decide on” for 1180;[6][4] the TLFi's first record (Dialogues of Gregory, about 1200) has “to put in order”, of what almighty God has ordained.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The psychological sense “to prepare (someone), put in a certain frame of mind” is in a translation of Ovid's Remedia amoris (1370–1380), where jealousy dispose les cuers a häyne mortelle.[2][3] In the 13th century it began to be used with de, first for “to decide, decree” (1236), then “to use (something) as one pleases” (1298).[2][3] Se disposer à “to get ready to” dates from about 1393, and the verb is also used alone in formulas of dismissal (vous pouvez disposer).[3][2]

Bien or mal disposé meant “in good or poor health” in Oresme (1365), a sense now lost, and “well or ill intentioned” in Furetière (1690).[2][3] The physical sense survives in indisposé (1407) and indisposer.[3][5] prédisposer dates from 1798.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1180 – The participle, of the body, in the Enfances Vivien.[6]
  • c. 1200 – “To put in order”.[2]
  • 1236 – Disposer de “to decree”.[2]
  • 1298 – Disposer de “to use as one pleases”.[2]
  • 1365 – Bien, mal disposé, of health.[2]
  • 1370–1380 – “To prepare (someone)”.[2]
  • c. 1393 – Se disposer à.[2]
  • 1407 – Indisposé.[3]
  • 1690 – Bien, mal disposé envers.[2]
  • 1798 – Prédisposer.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (transitive) To Arrange, lay out: disposer des fleurs dans un vase, disposer ses troupes.[9][1]
  2. Disposer quelqu'un à: to prepare, incline someone to.[9][1]
  3. Se disposer à: to get ready to, be about to.[1][2]
  4. Disposer de: to have at one's disposal; to use freely, (law) to dispose of (property).[1][3]
  5. (intransitive) Vous pouvez disposer: you may go.[3][1]
  6. Bien, mal disposé: well or ill disposed (towards someone).[2]

Word family

  • indisposer
  • prédisposer

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 8, 69a
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert