Etymologically
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matin

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ma.tɛ̃/[1]
  • IPA: /ma.tɑ̃ᵑ/[1]
  • IPA: /ma.tɑ̃/[1]
  • IPA (Quebec): /ma.tẽ/[1]

Forms

matin m (plural matins)[1] Mattin in the earliest record (980).[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin mātūtīnum, the neuter of the adjective mātūtīnus (“of the morning”) used as a noun, short for “mātūtīnum tempus” “morning time”.[3][4][5][6] The adjective is derived from Mātūta, an Italic goddess identified with the dawn, Rey connects her name with mātūrus (“ripe”) and an old root meaning “good”, also seen in archaic mānis (“good”).[4][7]

From Pliny and Seneca on, “mātūtīnum” replaced māne (“in the morning”), which survived in Old French main (“Chanson de Roland”) until “matin” eliminated it, “māne” lives on in demain.[3][4][5]

Cognate with Italian mattino, Occitan matin and Catalan matí.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 10th century in the Passion of Clermont, meaning the beginning of the day; the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has al matin and the adverb, Li empereres est par matin levet “the emperor rose early”.[3][4][8]

Semantic evolution

The adverbial use “early” was once common on its own, and survives in the somewhat archaic se lever matin (1666); today the adverb mostly follows a noun (lundi matin).[4] Old phrases such as par matin and du plus matin have gone, replaced by le matin, de bon matin (about 1480) and de grand matin (1540–1549); à matin “this morning” has disappeared in France but lives on in Quebec.[4][3]

In reckoning the hours the word meant the time from midnight to noon (1225), then from daybreak to noon (early 15th century).[3] It came to stand loosely for “day” in un beau matin (about 1500) and un de ces quatre matins (1797).[4][9] From 1568 it was used figuratively for a beginning, as in the three ages of life, and étoile du matin has named the planet Venus since 1553.[3][4]

Timeline

  • c. 980 – Mattin in the Passion of Clermont.[2][3]
  • c. 1100 – Al matin and the adverb matin in the Chanson de Roland.[3]
  • 1225 – The hours from midnight to noon, in Gautier de Coinci.[3]
  • c. 1480 – De bon matin.[3][4]
  • 1553 – Étoile du matin “Venus”.[4]
  • 1568 – Figurative “beginning”, in Robert Garnier.[3]
  • 1797 – Un de ces quatre matins.[9]
  • 1927 – Le petit matin, in Mac Orlan.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The early part of the day, around dawn: la rosée du matin, au petit matin.[7][10]
  2. The morning, the time from daybreak to noon: il ne reçoit que le matin.[10][7]
  3. De bon matin, de grand matin: very early.[10]
  4. (literary) The beginning of something: le matin de la vie.[9][3]

Adverb

  1. In the morning, after a noun: demain matin, tous les dimanches matin.[10]
  2. (literary) Early: se lever matin.[10][4]

Word family

  • matinal
  • matinée
  • matineux
  • matines

Usage notes

Matin is not to be confused with mâtin “mastiff”.[10] The church office of matines (about 1080) was formed on matin after Church Latin mātūtīnae.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 536b
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b c d e f Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)