habiter

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a.bi.te/^[1]

Forms

habiter^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin habitō (“to dwell, inhabit”), the frequentative of habeō (“to have, hold”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Literally the Latin verb meant “to have often, to be often (somewhere)”.^[7][3] Its supine “habitum” gave habitūdō, whence habitude.^[3]

Compare Spanish habitar and Italian abitare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) has it for occupying a dwelling: que je habite en la maisun nostre segnur tuz les jurz de ma vie “that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The figurative use, with an abstract subject, belongs at first to the language of devotion (13th century): peace or grace “dwells” in the soul.^[3] Habiter avec meant “to keep company with” (about 1225), and in biblical style to have carnal relations with someone.^[3] In Middle French it meant to fill a country with towns, to people it (1393), a sense that survives in une région habitée.^[3] The noun habitant (early 13th century) replaced habiteur; in Canada habitant came to mean a farmer (1675).^[2][3]

Timeline

• First half of the 12th century – “To dwell”, Cambridge Psalter.^[2]
• Early 13th century – Habitant.^[2]
• c. 1225 – Habiter avec “to keep company with”.^[3]
• 1393 – “To people”.^[3]
• 1808 – Habitat.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To live, dwell, reside: habiter à la campagne, elle habite rue Martin.^[8][1]
2. (transitive) To live in, inhabit: habiter une maison, les animaux qui habitent la forêt.^[8][7]
3. (figurative) Of a feeling or idea, to dwell in, possess: la peur qui l'habite.^[9][8]

Word family

• habitant
• habitable
• inhabitable
• habitat
• inhabité
• cohabiter

Related words

• habitation
• habitude
• Latin habitō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 368b
7. ^ a b c d 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
9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse