dit

Forms

dit m (plural dits)^[1] Old French diz, dis (nominative singular and plural).^[2][3]

Etymology

The noun is the past participle of the verb used as a substantive, from French dire (“to say”).^[2][4][5][6] Littré traces it to Latin dictum (“a saying”), from dīcō (“to say”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Eneas (about 1160) has diz in the collective sense “words, what someone says”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In 1246 it meant a word given, a promise.^[2] Chrétien de Troyes's Erec et Enide (about 1170) uses it for a piece of verse or a song;^[2] literary historians keep it for a medieval genre, a short poem on a familiar or topical subject, also called ditié or dittié.^[5] The general sense “words” went out of use,^[5] though dictionaries still record un dit for a notable saying.^[2][7] In law Racine uses it (1668) for a document stating facts of a case.^[2][5]

As an adjective the participle meant “named, stated” (1219) and then “surnamed” (1690), and à l'heure dite “at the agreed time” dates from 1668.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – The Eneas uses diz for words spoken.^[2][5]
• c. 1170 – Chrétien de Troyes uses it for a poem or song.^[2]
• 1246 – It means a promise, in a charter of Rethel.^[2]
• 1668 – Racine uses it in law, in Les Plaideurs.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (dated) A saying, a remark or maxim: les dits et contredits.^[7][2][1]
2. (literature) In the Middle Ages, a short poem on a familiar or topical subject, as Rutebeuf's Dit de l'Herberie.^[8][7][9][5]
3. (law) A document stating facts relating to a case.^[5][2]

Related words

• dire
• Latin dictum

Usage notes

The word is the past participle of dire, which is also an adjective meaning “surnamed” and “agreed, fixed” (à l'heure dite), and is joined to the article in the legal ledit, ladite.^[8][2] Littré notes that in liaison the final ⟨t⟩ of the noun is sounded, and the ⟨s⟩ of the plural.^[3]

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 n 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 67b
7. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)