enseigner

Forms

enseigner^[1] Old French enseignier; the spelling enseigner is found from the 14th century.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French enseignier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *īnsignō (“to point out”), an alteration of Classical Latin īnsigniō (“to mark, to point out, to distinguish”).^[3][4][5][6] The Latin verb is derived from the adjective īnsignis (“marked, distinguished”), from signum (“sign”), the source of enseigne and signe.^[5][2] The sense “to teach” grew out of “to point out”.^[6][7]

Cognate with Italian insegnare, Occitan ensenhar, Catalan ensenyar, Spanish enseñar, Portuguese ensinar and Romanian însemna (“to mean”).^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in the Vie de saint Alexis (1050), meaning “to make known by a sign or an indication”.^[3][5] The Chanson de Roland has ne l'estuet enseigner, “there is no need to show it to him”.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, “to point out”, survives only regionally and has been replaced by renseigner.^[5][10] By extension the verb meant “to instruct someone” (1165–1170, Benoît de Sainte-Maure), then enseigner à with an infinitive, “to teach how to” (about 1170), and “to teach something to someone” (about 1200).^[3][5] Enseigner que is recorded in 1690, and the sense “to pass on knowledge to a pupil” in the 17th century.^[5][2] Used absolutely, “to be a teacher”, it dates from the end of the 18th century.^[5]

The derivative enseignement at first meant “precept, lesson” (1170) and only from the 18th century the action of teaching (1771, enseignement public), and enseignant (1762) became a noun about 1865.^[5]

Timeline

• 1050 – First recorded, in the Vie de saint Alexis, as “to make known”.^[3]
• 1165–1170 – Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses it for instructing someone.^[3]
• c. 1170 – Enseignier a with an infinitive appears in the Livre des Rois.^[3]
• c. 1200 – Used for teaching something to someone.^[5]
• 1690 – Furetière records enseigner que.^[5][2]
• 1762 – The derivative enseignant is recorded.^[5]
• Late 18th century – Used absolutely for working as a teacher.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To teach a subject or a skill: enseigner la chimie au lycée, enseigner à quelqu'un à nager.^[10][3][1]
2. (absolute) To be a teacher: elle enseigne depuis vingt ans.^[10][5]
3. To instruct someone, to educate pupils.^[3][1]
4. To show or make known through experience: l'histoire nous enseigne que….^[10][9]
5. (dated or regional) To point out, to show: enseigner le chemin à un passant.^[10][9][2]

Word family

• renseigner
• enseignement
• enseignant
• enseignable

Related words

• enseigne
• signe
• Latin īnsigniō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 713a
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert