Etymologically
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espérer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛs.pe.ʁe/[1]

Forms

espérer[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French esperer, inherited from Latin spērō (“to look forward to, expect; to hope”), derived from spēs (“expectation, hope”).[2][3][4][5][1] The ⟨s⟩ and the treatment of the stressed vowel are due to contact with written Latin, which gives the word the look of a borrowing; the regular forms survive in espoir, from the old present “espoir” “I hope”.[2][4][3] The root of “spēs” is also in Old English spōwan (“to succeed”).[3]

Cognate with Italian sperare, Occitan esperar, Spanish esperar and Romanian spera; in Spanish, Italian and Occitan the verb also means “to wait”.[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1050 in the Vie de saint Alexis, meaning “to regard as bound to happen”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

About 1120 it also meant “to wait, expect”, still current in the 19th century, and in the first half of the 12th century “to trust in” (esperez el segnur, Oxford Psalter).[3][2] The sense “to wait” is alive in Normandy, the west and the south, and in Quebec; it gives the southern exclamation j'espère ! “well I never!”.[3][4][1] In central French espérer en “to put one's trust in” and the absolute use remain.[3] Espérer quelqu'un “to hope someone will come” is classical.[7] Derivatives include espérance (1080), espoir (1155) and désespérer (1155).[4][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – In the Vie de saint Alexis.[2]
  • 1080 – Espérance.[3][4]
  • c. 1120 – “To wait for”.[3]
  • 1st half of the 12th century – Espérer en “to trust in”.[2]
  • 1155 – Espoir and désespérer.[4]
  • 15th century – Inespéré.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To hope, to hope for: espérer une réponse, j'espère qu'il viendra.[6][1]
  2. Espérer en: to have faith, trust in: espérer en Dieu.[1][3]
  3. To expect someone: on ne vous espérait plus.[6][7]
  4. (regional, Quebec) To wait for.[1][7]

Word family

  • désespérer
  • espoir
  • espérance
  • désespérance
  • inespéré

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 164b
  6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse