futur

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fy.tyʁ/^[1]

Forms

futur (feminine future, masculine plural futurs, feminine plural futures)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin futūrus (“about to be, future”), future participle of sum (“to be”), also used as a noun (“futurum” “the future”, and probably the grammatical tense).^[2][3][4][5] Rey traces it, like the perfect fuī (“I was”), to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *bhū- (“to grow”).^[3][6]

It matches Old Occitan futur, Spanish futuro and Italian futuro.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The revised TLF dates the adjective from 1267, in Brunetto Latini: ces .iii. tens, c'est le preterit, le present, et celi ki est a venir… et atent les futures.^[2] Earlier, futurs was occasionally used for people yet to come, as in a charter of 1219, tant aus presens qu'aus futurs.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The noun “time to come, the future” is in Jean de Meun's Roman de la Rose (about 1275): se du futur n'est secorue.^[2][3] As a grammatical term it is found in the late 12th century and clearly in a 14th-century Donatus;^[2] futur simple and futur antérieur were established by Féraud (1787).^[2]

Before a noun it means “who will be” (1651, Corneille), whence son futur, sa future “intended husband, wife” (1730, Marivaux).^[8][2][3] La vie future is the life after death (18th century).^[3][9] Since the 1960s futur has gained ground on avenir under the influence of English future, also borrowed in no future.^[3]

Timeline

• late 12th century – The grammatical future.^[2]
• 1219 – Les futurs, those to come.^[2][3]
• 1267 – The adjective, in Brunetto Latini.^[2]
• c. 1275 – Le futur “the future”, in the Roman de la Rose.^[2]
• 1651 – “Who will be”, in Corneille.^[8]
• 1730 – Son futur “her intended”, in Marivaux.^[2]
• 1787 – Futur simple, futur antérieur, in Féraud.^[2]
• 1909 – The noun futurisme is adapted from Italian.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Future, to come: les générations futures, (religion) la vie future, the afterlife.^[9][1]
2. (before the noun) Who will be such: sa future épouse, le futur Louis XIV.^[9][8]

Noun

1. The future, time to come (sometimes criticized for avenir).^[1][3]
2. (grammar) The future tense: futur simple, futur antérieur.^[1][2]
3. Le futur, la future: one's intended husband or wife.^[9][2]

Word family

• futurisme
• futuriste
• futurologie

Related words

• avenir
• Latin futūrus
• English future

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Steinfeld, Nadine; Buchi, Éva, eds. (2005–), TLF-Étym: révision des notices étymologiques du Trésor de la langue française informatisé, Nancy: ATILF
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 929a
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert