Etymologically
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fort

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fɔːʁ/[1]
  • IPA: /fɔʁ/[1]

Forms

fort (feminine forte, masculine plural forts, feminine plural fortes)[1] Until the 14th century fort served for both genders, as Latin fortis did, se faire fort de keeps this.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French fort, inherited from Latin fortis (“strong, sturdy; brave”), a word of uncertain origin, Wiktionary mentions Old Latin “forctis”.[3][5][2][6][1] The adverb (early 12th century) and the noun (about 1170) are uses of the adjective.[4][7]

Cognate with Italian forte, Occitan fort, Spanish fuerte and Portuguese forte.[2][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 10th century in the Passion of Clermont, of a sharp feeling, fort marremens “deep sorrow”; the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has un fort espiet “a sturdy spear”, forz freiz “bitter cold” and a battle fort a suffrir “hard to endure”.[5]

Semantic evolution

In the Chanson de Roland it also describes physical strength (Rollant, about 1100); about 1265 Brunetto Latini uses it for moral fortitude, and Wace (1160–1174) for a fortified city, whence the noun fort, a stronghold (mid-13th century).[5][2] Of wine it is found about 1220, and the sense “excessive” appears at the end of the 14th century, in c'est un peu fort (c'est fort, 1692) and the familiar c'est fort de café.[5][3]

The intellectual sense “able, clever” dates from 1659 (Molière's Précieuses ridicules), whence être fort en and ce n'est pas mon fort (1648); le sexe fort is recorded in 1762.[5][3][7] As a noun un fort also meant a porter (1690), as the forts des Halles (1732).[3][7] The adverb fort “very” is now rather formal or literary, beside très.[1][9]

Timeline

  • Late 10th century – Fort marremens in the Passion of Clermont.[5]
  • c. 1100 – “Sturdy”, “hard”, “strong” in the Chanson de Roland.[5]
  • Early 12th century – The adverb.[4]
  • 1160–1174 – A fortified city, in Wace.[5]
  • Mid-13th century – The noun fort, a stronghold.[5]
  • 1306 – “Well-founded, convincing”, in Joinville.[5]
  • 1648 – Ce n'est pas mon fort.[3][7]
  • 1659 – “Clever, able”, in Molière.[5]
  • 1732 – Forts de la Halle.[3][7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. strong, physically powerful: fort comme un Turc.[9][1]
  2. Powerful, mighty; resolute: un pays fort, une âme forte.[5][9]
  3. Good at something, skilled: être fort en maths.[1][5]
  4. intense, marked: une forte fièvre, un café fort.[5][9]
  5. Large in size or amount; stout: une forte somme.[9]
  6. Excessive, hard to believe: c'est un peu fort.[3]
  7. Se faire fort de: to be confident one can.[2][5]

Adverb

  1. With strength or intensity: frapper fort, parler fort.[9]
  2. (formal) Very, greatly: fort bien.[1]

Noun

  1. A fort, a fortified work.[9]
  2. A strong or powerful person: la loi du plus fort.[9]
  3. One's strong point: ce n'est pas mon fort.[7][3]
  4. (historical) A porter at the Paris market: fort des Halles.[9]

Word family

  • main-forte
  • forteresse
  • contrefort
  • fortin
  • fortement

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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, 732b
  7. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert