habituer

Forms

habituer^[1] Middle French abituer (1330), habituer.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin habituor (“to be in a certain condition, be provided with”), and in its modern sense the Medieval Latin habituō (“to accustom”) (about 1290).^[2][3][4] The Latin verb is derived from habitus (“condition, bearing”), from habeō (“to have, hold”).^[3][5] Bloch and Wartburg date the French verb to about 1320, first in the sense “to provide”.^[6]

Cognate with Old Occitan habituar, Spanish habituar and Italian abituare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Hugues Capet (1330) abituer means “to dress”: knights go to their lodgings to arm or habituer themselves.^[2][7][3] This sense, linked with habit, lasted until the 15th century.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The past participle habitué “accustomed” is found in Oresme's translation of Aristotle's Ethics (1370–72).^[2][3] From 1475 the reflexive s'habituer meant “to settle in a place”, a sense in use in the classical period and still recorded by Littré, who notes that it was growing old.^[2][3][7] It gave prêtre habitué, or habitué (1477), a priest attached to a parish without holding an office in it, now a historical term.^[3]

The modern sense “to accustom”, taken from Medieval Latin, is recorded by Robert Estienne in 1549, both transitive and reflexive.^[2][3][8] The participle used as a noun, un habitué, a regular visitor of a place, dates from 1778.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1330 – Abituer “to dress” in Hugues Capet.^[2]
• 1370–72 – Oresme uses habitué “accustomed”.^[2]
• 1475 – Soy habituer “to settle” in an ordinance of Louis XI.^[2]
• 1477 – Habitué, a priest attached to a parish.^[2][3]
• 1549 – Robert Estienne records the modern sense.^[2][8]
• 1778 – Habitué, a regular visitor.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To accustom someone or something to something: habituer un chiot à la laisse.^[9][2]
2. To train someone to act in a certain way: habituer quelqu'un à se lever tôt.^[9][8]
3. S'habituer à: to get used to something, become accustomed to it.^[9][1]
4. (obsolete) S'habituer: to settle in a place or a country.^[7][1]

Word family

• réhabituer
• déshabituer
• habitué
• habituation

Related words

• habitude
• habituel
• habit
• Latin habitus

Usage notes

The past participle is common as an adjective (habitué à “used to”) and as a noun, un habitué, une habituée, a regular at a café, a theatre or a shop.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 371b
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. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert