Etymologically
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entrer

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 05:46. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃.tʁe/[1]

Forms

entrer[1] Old French intrer (10th century), then entrer.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French entrer, inherited from Latin intrō (“to go into, enter”), from intrā (“within”), related to inter (“between”), whence entre.[4][2][3][5][1] The Latin preposition goes back to Indo-European Proto-Indo-European *h₁énteros, from *h₁én (“in”).[1][6]

Cognate with Romanian intra, Italian entrare, Occitan entrar, Catalan entrar, Spanish entrar and Portuguese entrar.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the second half of the 10th century the Vie de saint Léger uses it for going into a place, and also for entering a monastery.[4]

Semantic evolution

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it already means “to set out on” (entret en son veiage) and is used abstractly.[4][2] About 1119 it meant “to begin” of a season or year, and about 1165 “to fall into a state of mind”, entrer en colère dates from 1534.[4][2] Entrer en matière is found about 1275, entrer dans la danse in 1690 and entrer en scène in 1835.[4][2]

From 1605 entrer dans meant “to form part of”, and, from 1662 “to share (an opinion)”.[4][2] The transitive use “to bring in” appears once in the 13th century and again from 1615, especially of goods.[4][2] In dialects the verb has been strongly challenged by rentrer.[8]

Timeline

  • 2nd half of the 10th century – Intrer in the Vie de saint Léger.[4][9]
  • c. 1100 – Entret en son veiage in the Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • c. 1119 – Used of the beginning of a season.[4]
  • 1119 – Entrée.[2]
  • c. 1275 – Entrer en matière.[4]
  • 1605 – Entrer dans “to form part of”.[4]
  • 1615 – Transitive, “to bring in (goods)”.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To enter, go or come in: entrer dans une maison, entrez ![6][10]
  2. To join, become a member of: entrer dans une entreprise.[4][6]
  3. To begin a state or period: entrer en guerre, entrer dans sa vingtième année.[2][4]
  4. To form part of: entrer dans la composition de.[4]
  5. To share, enter into: entrer dans les vues de quelqu'un.[2]
  6. (transitive) To bring in, import; to input (data).[2][11]

Word family

  • rentrer
  • rentrée

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 773a
  6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)