Etymologically
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jurer

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʒy.ʁe/[1]

Forms

jurer[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French jurer, inherited from Latin iūrō (“to swear, take an oath”), from iūs (“law, right”), in its original sense of a ritual formula with the force of law.[2][3][4][1][5] The same Latin family gave juge, juste, injure and conjurer.[6]

Cognate with Italian giurare, Old Occitan jurar, Spanish jurar, Portuguese jurar and Romanian jura.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Strasbourg Oaths (842) have sagrament que son fradre Karlo iurat “the oath that he swears to his brother Charles”.[2][3][8]

Semantic evolution

In the Chanson de Roland it means to promise by oath, to take God as witness, to promise in marriage and to vow firmly: Guenes li fels ad nostre mort juree “the traitor Ganelon has sworn our death”.[2][3] Invoking sacred names profanely, cursing, is found in Wace (1160–74), whence juron (1599).[2][9] Losing the idea of an oath, it came to mean to affirm strongly (Pathelin, 1461–69): je n'en jurerais pas and il ne faut jurer de rien (1656), ne jurer que par (1668), jurer ses grands dieux (1690–1713).[2][3] From the violence of oaths came the sense “to clash”, first of discordant sounds (Boileau, 1665) and then of colours (1688).[2][3]

Timeline

  • 842 – Iurat, Strasbourg Oaths.[2]
  • c. 1100 – “To promise by oath”, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • 1160–74 – “To curse”, Wace.[2]
  • c. 1200 – Juré.[9]
  • 1461–69 – “To affirm strongly”, Pathelin.[2]
  • 1599 – Juron.[9]
  • 1665 – “To clash”, of sounds, Boileau.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To swear, promise solemnly: jurer fidélité, jurer de dire la vérité.[10][1]
  2. To swear, assert: je vous jure que c'est vrai, il ne faut jurer de rien.[6][3]
  3. (intransitive) To swear, curse: jurer comme un charretier.[6][1]
  4. To clash: ces couleurs jurent ensemble.[1][6]
  5. Ne jurer que par: to swear by.[6][3]
  6. Jurer ses grands dieux: to swear blind.[6][2]

Word family

  • juré
  • juron
  • jureur
  • jurement
  • jurande
  • jury
  • abjurer
  • adjurer
  • conjurer
  • parjure
  • Latin iūrō

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 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 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. 5, 80a
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)