expertise

Forms

expertise f (countable and uncountable, plural expertises)^[1] Middle French espertise (14th century) and expertice (1580, Montaigne); the modern spelling is found before 1614 in Brantôme.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French expert + -ise, first as espertise, on espert, the older form of the adjective.^[5][2][3][6] That adjective, meaning “skilful”, goes back to Latin expertus, the past participle of experior (“to try, test”);^[7] The modern form of the adjective was remade after the Latin.^[7]

Littré compares Occitan esperteza and Spanish esperteza.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 14th century espertise meant skill, dexterity or experience: Jean Le Fèvre uses it in his Vieille (before 1376).^[5][9] An account book of the French royal household of 1381 speaks of joueurs d'espertise, performers of feats of skill.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The general sense of skill or experience lasted until at least Cotgrave (1611):^[5] Montaigne wrote of an expertise bellique, military experience.^[8][3] The legal sense, an appraisal or report made by experts, appears in 1792,^[5][7][4] and gave the verb expertiser (1807) and contre-expertise (1847).^[4] It came to cover the valuation of objects such as works of art and the checking of their authenticity.^[10]

Under the influence of English it took back the sense of an expert's knowledge and competence, which the Petit Robert notes fits the word's origin;^[10] Rey notes that it serves as a French equivalent of English know-how.^[4] English had itself borrowed expertise from French in 1868, at first for the quality of being an expert.^[11]

Timeline

• 14th century – Espertise “skill, experience” appears in Jean Le Fèvre's Vieille.^[5][9]
• 1580 – Montaigne writes expertice.^[2][3]
• Before 1614 – The spelling expertise is found in Brantôme.^[2][3]
• 1611 – Cotgrave still records the old sense “skill”.^[5]
• 1792 – First use for an appraisal made by experts.^[5][7]
• 1807 – The derived verb expertiser appears.^[4][7]
• 1847 – Contre-expertise is first recorded.^[4]
• 1868 – English borrows expertise.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. (law) A survey or examination ordered from one or more experts, who report their technical findings, for example to a judge; also the report itself.^[10][5][3]
2. The valuation of an object, such as a painting or a jewel, and the study of its authenticity by an expert.^[10]
3. An expert's knowledge or competence in a field.^[10][1]

Word family

• expertiser
• contre-expertise

Related words

• expert
• inexpert
• expérience

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ 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
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 309b
7. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com