franchement

Forms

franchement^[1] Old French also francement and franquement, in Beaumanoir.^[2] Anglo-Norman frankement and fraunchement.^[3]

Etymology

It is formed from French franc + -ment, on the feminine franche.^[4][1][5] The adjective comes from the name of the Franks, Latinised early as Francus, from Frankish *frank; in the Middle Ages its dominant sense was “free”.^[6][7]

Compare Spanish francamente and Italian francamente.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record, in the Oxford Psalter (first half of the 12th century), means “freely”, rendering Latin libere egit.^[4][8]

Semantic evolution

In Chrétien de Troyes' Erec et Enide (1165–1170), parler franchement and répondre franchement meant to speak or answer nobly.^[4][8] In feudal law the adverb described land held in free tenure, as in Beaumanoir in the 13th century, and the legal phrase franchement et quittement “free of all charges and debts” was still in the Académie's dictionary from 1835 to 1932.^[2][4][3]

The sense “without hesitating, resolutely” appears in Froissart in the second half of the 14th century, and “without beating about the bush, without hiding anything” in Roger de Collerye (1536).^[4][8] Placed before an adjective it came to mean “really, downright”, as in Proust.^[9] In the sense “resolutely”, French also uses the clipped form franco (1879).^[8]

Timeline

• 1100–1150 – The Oxford Psalter uses it for “freely”.^[4]
• 1165–1170 – Chrétien de Troyes has parler franchement “to speak nobly”.^[4][8]
• 13th century – Beaumanoir uses it of free tenure.^[2]
• Second half of the 14th century – Froissart uses it for “resolutely”.^[4][8]
• 1536 – Roger de Collerye uses it for “without dissimulation”.^[4][8]
• 1835 – The Académie records franchement et quittement.^[4]
• 1879 – The clipped form franco appears.^[8]
• Before 1922 – Proust uses it before an adjective for “really”.^[9]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Resolutely, without hesitating: y aller franchement.^[10][9]
2. Clearly, without ambiguity.^[10][9]
3. (before an adjective) Really, downright: C'est franchement laid.^[10][9][1]
4. Frankly, sincerely, without hiding anything: Parle-moi franchement.^[10][1][4]
5. As a sentence adverb, “frankly”; the exclamation Franchement ! shows irritation or impatience.^[10]
6. (law, dated) Franchement et quittement: free of all charges and debts.^[4][2]
7. (classical) Freely.^[9]

Related words

• franc
• franchise
• franco

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ 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
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 15/2, 165b
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert