former

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɔʁ.me/^[1]

Forms

former^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin fōrmō (“to shape, form; to arrange; to instruct”), from fōrma (“form, shape”) (see forme).^{[2][3][4][5][1][6]} The inherited outcome of the Latin noun “formatio” was Old French “formaison”, “formation” was borrowed about 1170.^[3]

Compare Old Occitan formar, Spanish formar and Italian formare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Couronnement de Louis (about 1135) uses it for giving something a particular shape, and the Psautier de Cambridge (first half of the 12th century) for God creating: Dame dex pere, qui formastes Adam.^[2][3][7]

Semantic evolution

In Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence (1172–1174) it means “to formulate”, a sense now gone, like “to engender” (1647, Corneille).^[2][3] Montchrestien (1604) uses it for conceiving in the mind, as in former un dessein, and Montaigne (1580) for shaping a person's mind, whence se former “to educate oneself” (1688, Bossuet).^[2][3]

Palissy (1563, 1580) has “to take the shape of” and se former “to come into being”, and Pascal (1656–1657) “to make up, constitute”.^[2] Rey sees the core sense shifting from “to create” to “to organize”.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1135 – “To shape”, Couronnement de Louis.^[2]
• first half of the 12th century – Of God creating.^[2]
• 1172–1174 – “To formulate”.^[2]
• 1580 – To shape a mind, Montaigne.^[2]
• 1604 – Un dessein formé, Montchrestien.^[2]
• 1656–1657 – “To constitute”, Pascal.^[2]
• 1688 – Se former “to learn”, Bossuet.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To form, create, make exist: Dieu forma l'homme; to put together: former un gouvernement, former un train.^[8][1]
2. To shape, give a form to: former ses lettres.^[2][1]
3. To train, educate: former des ingénieurs, se former, to train, learn.^[2][1]
4. To make up, constitute: ils forment un beau couple.^[2][8]
5. To conceive: former un projet, former des vœux.^[8]
6. Se former: to take shape, come into being.^[2]

Related words

• formation
• forme
• Latin fōrmō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 716b
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert