enfreindre

Forms

enfreindre^[1] Old French usually enfraindre;^[2][3][4] enfreindre is first a dialect spelling of the 13th century.^[2][3][4] Anglo-Norman also has enfrendre and emfraindre.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French enfraindre, inherited from Vulgar Latin *īnfrangō, a remodelling of Classical Latin īnfringō (“to break”) after the simple verb frangō (“to break”).^{[2][3][6][1][7]} The modern spelling with ⟨ei⟩ follows the Classical Latin verb, according to the TLFi;^[2] Bloch and Wartburg date it from the 16th century and see it as an approach to the Latin.^[6] Littré thought the old spelling with ⟨a⟩ would have been better, because of the Latin simple verb.^[8] The Latin simple verb belongs to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”).^[3]

Cognate with Romanian înfrânge, Italian infrangere and Old Occitan enfranher.^[9][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The laws of William the Conqueror, in the first quarter of the 12th century, have E ki enfreint la pais le rei “and whoever breaks the king's peace”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

From the beginning the verb has meant to break a law or a commitment, and it has stayed rather learned or administrative.^[3] In Anglo-Norman it also had the literal senses “to break, break open” and “to defeat”.^[5] Later quotations in Littré show it with vows (Wace), truces (Villehardouin) and the king's ordinances (Beaumanoir).^[8]

Timeline

• 1100–1125 – Enfreint in the laws of William the Conqueror.^[2]
• 12th century – Wace writes enfraindre of breaking a vow.^[8]
• 13th century – The dialect spelling enfreindre appears.^[3][4]
• 16th century – Enfreindre becomes the usual spelling.^[6]
• 1798 – The Académie gives enfreindre un traité.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To infringe, violate a law, rule, treaty or commitment: enfreindre le règlement intérieur.^[9][2][1]
2. S’enfreindre: to be broken or violated.^[8]

Related words

• infraction
• fretin
• refrain
• réfraction
• Latin īnfringō

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 c d e f 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. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 680b
8. ^ a b c d e 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