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exemple

Etymology and origin of the French word exemple

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis (esample)
Borrowed from
Latin exemplum
Ultimate origin
Latin (emō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin emo
Latin exemplum
French exemple

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛɡ.zɑ̃pl/[1]

Forms

exemple m (plural exemples)[1] Old French esample, essemple, essample (often feminine), relatinized as exemple in the 12th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin exemplum (“sample; copy; model, example”), first in the half-popular form “esample”.[5][2][3][6] Bloch and Wartburg think the Old French feminine may come from the neuter plural “exempla”; the feminine survived until the 19th century in une exemple d'écriture“, a copybook model.[7][2] Rey derives ”exemplum, “something set apart as a model”, from eximō (“to take out, remove”), of the family of emō (“to take; to buy”), Littré thought the derivation difficult.[2][8] Wiktionary says the borrowing displaced Old French “essainple”.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Vie de saint Alexis (mid-11th century) esample is news, a rumour: est vus l'esample par trestut le païs; in the Chanson de Roland it is a story from which a moral lesson is drawn.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

These first senses did not last.[2] About 1119 it was a fact supporting an assertion, about 1160 a lesson drawn from a situation, and in Marie de France (1180) a didactic tale.[5][2] A person worth imitating is found at the end of the 12th century (forme et examples de vie), and a punishment meant as a warning in Froissart (1381), whence faire un exemple and pour l'exemple.[5][2]

Pour exemple “to illustrate” is in Montaigne (1580), and par exemple in Furetière (1690); the exclamation par exemple ! expressing surprise arose by irony (1627).[5][2] A sentence cited to illustrate the use of a word is an exemple from 1653.[2][9]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Esample “news”, Vie de saint Alexis.[5]
  • c. 1100 – A moral tale, Chanson de Roland.[5]
  • c. 1119 – A fact supporting a claim, Philippe de Thaon.[5]
  • c. 1160 – A lesson, Roman d'Eneas.[5]
  • c. 1165 – The masculine exemple, Gautier d'Arras.[9]
  • 1381 – An exemplary punishment, Froissart.[5]
  • 1580 – Pour exemple, Montaigne.[5]
  • 1627 – The exclamation par exemple !.[2]
  • 1653 – A grammatical example.[2]
  • 1690 – Par exemple, Furetière.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An example, model to be imitated: donner l'exemple, suivre l'exemple de quelqu'un, prendre exemple sur.[4][10]
  2. A person held up as a model.[9][11]
  3. A warning, a punishment meant to deter: faire un exemple, que cela vous serve d'exemple.[11][2]
  4. A case, an instance that illustrates something: citer un exemple, sans exemple, unprecedented.[11][9]
  5. A sentence or quotation illustrating a word or rule in a dictionary or grammar.[9][2]
  6. Par exemple: for example, (familiar) par exemple !, expressing surprise.[2][4]

Word family

  • exemplifier
  • exemplification

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 291a
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Exemple.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/exemple. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·