jouter

Forms

jouter^[1] Old French juster (Chanson de Roland), joster (12th century), jouster (13th century); jouter from 1390 (Froissart).^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French joster, inherited from Vulgar Latin *iuxtō (“to be adjacent, to touch”), formed on Latin iuxtā (“near, close to”).^{[5][2][6][1][7]} It is thus the same word as jouxter.^[5][1] The original sense “to border on” still lives in the dialects of the north and the Centre, of fields and properties;^[6][2][8] Littré cites the Berry form ⟨joûter⟩ “to adjoin”.^[8]

The customs of chivalry carried the word into the neighbouring languages, as Italian giostrare and Spanish justar.^[2][6] Littré also compares Old Occitan jostar and Portuguese justar.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) juster means to bring together or gather (the dead after a battle), to draw up the divisions for an attack, juster bataille “to join battle”, and juster a someone “to fight him in single combat on horseback”.^[5][2] Roland calls to his companion: Sire compain, à mei car vous justez “Sir companion, come close to me”.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to gather” explains the prefixed verb ajouter, now quite separate in meaning.^[2][6] In the Middle Ages the military sense narrowed to the single combat of two knights with lances, the joust.^[2][6][5]

The figurative sense “to struggle against” is dated 1155 by the DHLF and 1555 by the TLFi;^[2][5][9] “to vie with, compete” is in the Académie's dictionary of 1718, and it has lasted in literary use, with jouter de for the field of rivalry (jouter de verve).^[2][5][9] From 1559 (Amyot) faire jouter des coqs meant to set cocks fighting.^[5][8] The verb is also used of jousting on water with long poles.^[5][4]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Juster in the Chanson de Roland, for gathering and for combat.^[5]
• 1174–1176 – Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence uses a sei juster “to win over to one's side”.^[5]
• 13th century – The spelling jouster appears.^[2][4]
• 1390 – Froissart writes jouter.^[3][2]
• 1555 – Used for struggling against something.^[5]
• 1559 – Amyot writes of making cocks fight.^[5]
• 1718 – The Académie records “to vie with”.^[5][9]

Meanings

Verb

1. (historical) To joust: to fight on horseback with lances.^[5][9][10]
2. To take part in water jousting, fighting with long poles from boats.^[5][4][11]
3. (dated) Faire jouter des coqs: to set cocks fighting.^[4][8]
4. (figurative, literary) To vie or compete with someone: jouter d'adresse, jouter de verve.^[5][9][10]

Word family

• joute
• jouteur
• ajouter

Related words

• jouxter
• jouxte
• Latin iuxtā

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
6. ^ a b c d e 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. 5, 97a
8. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)