imposer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɛ̃.po.ze/^[1]

Forms

imposer^[1] Old French emposer (1119); the prefix was relatinized as im- by 1302.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin impōnō (“to place upon; to impose (a tribute); to deceive”), adapted to the form of poser.^[2][3][4][5] Old French first had emposer “to put upon”, especially “to give (a name)” (1119, Philippe de Thaon), and the prefix was then relatinized.^[2][3][6] The Latin verb is formed from in- (“in, on”) and pōnō (“to put, place”).^[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record in this form (1302, a charter of Saint-Bertin) has it in the sense “to impute falsely”, a meaning now lost but still current in the classical period.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From “to impute falsely” came “to make (someone) believe something false” (1536, Calvin) and “to deceive” (1596); in the 17th century imposer used alone meant “to lie”, the sense behind imposteur.^[3][2] In the 14th century it took the general sense “to compel”: to lay a hard or unwelcome duty on someone, as in imposer silence (1342), now the usual meaning.^[3][2] It meant “to subject to a tax” (1332, impouser a qqn; 1422, imposer qqn), whence impôt, and, from 1690 “to levy a duty on (goods)”.^[2][3]

The old sense “to put on” lives in imposer un nom (1499) and in the liturgical imposer les mains (1541, Calvin); in printing it means “to lay out pages” (1690).^[2][3] En imposer “to command respect” is a French development of the 17th century, whence imposant (1732, Voltaire).^[4] The reflexive s'imposer “to make oneself accepted” is recorded by Boiste in 1829.^[2]

Timeline

• 1119 – Emposer un num “to give a name”, in Philippe de Thaon.^[2]
• 1302 – Imposer “to impute falsely”.^[2][3]
• 1332 – “To subject to a tax”.^[2]
• 1342 – Imposer silence.^[2][3]
• 1536 – “To make believe something false”, in Calvin.^[2]
• 1541 – Imposer les mains, in Calvin.^[2]
• 1690 – “To levy a duty on goods”, and the printing sense, in Furetière.^[2]
• 1732 – Imposant, in Voltaire.^[4]
• 1829 – S'imposer, in Boiste.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To impose, lay down (a rule, a duty, a constraint) on someone: imposer silence, imposer sa volonté.^[8][1]
2. To tax (a person, a product), levy a duty on: être imposé sur ses bénéfices.^[8][1]
3. To make (someone or something) accepted by force or authority.^[2][8]
4. En imposer: to command respect, overawe.^[4][1]
5. (reflexive) S'imposer: to make oneself accepted, win through; to be called for.^[1][2]
6. (religion) Imposer les mains: to lay hands on.^[2][3]
7. (printing) To impose (pages).^[2]
8. (archaic) Imposer à: to deceive.^[8][3]

Word family

• imposable
• imposant
• impôt
• réimposer
• surimposer

Related words

• imposition
• imposteur
• poser
• Latin impōnō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u 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 m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d 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. 8, 64a
7. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert