endoctriner

Forms

endoctriner^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French en- + doctrine + -er.^[2][3][1] It replaced the older verb doctriner (1131), made directly on the noun.^[4] doctrine itself is a borrowing from Latin doctrina (“teaching, learning, doctrine”).^[5]

Littré compares Old Occitan endoctrinar.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1165, in Guillaume d'Angleterre, meaning “to instruct, teach”.^[2][3] The GLLF dates it from the Livre des Rois (about 1170), where judges are to teach the people the law of the Lord.^[7][6]

Semantic evolution

In Old and Middle French it meant to teach someone or to give someone precise instructions: Froissart has wise men endoctrinés de parler sent to the count.^[6][7] It passed into Anglo-Norman, where it is recorded from the second half of the 12th century for teaching and educating.^[8]

The plain sense “to teach” aged: Furetière called it an old word in 1690.^[2] From the 18th century the verb came to mean to win someone over to a doctrine or point of view (1743 in the Dictionnaire de Trévoux according to the GLLF, 1791 in Marat according to the TLFi),^[7][2][9] and it took on a pejorative tone, as did endoctrinement.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 1165 – Endoctriner “to instruct” appears in Guillaume d'Angleterre.^[2]
• c. 1170 – The Livre des Rois uses it of teaching the law.^[7][6]
• 1690 – Furetière marks it as an old word.^[2]
• 1743 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux has the sense “to win over to a doctrine”.^[7][9]
• 1791 – Marat uses it in that sense.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To try to win someone over to a doctrine, an ideology or a point of view, to indoctrinate: il essaie d'endoctriner ses collègues.^[9][10]
2. (dated) To instruct or teach someone, to give someone the instructions needed for a task.^[9][7][2]

Word family

• endoctrinement

Related words

• doctrine
• doctriner
• doctrinaire
• Latin doctrina

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)