mesurer

Forms

mesurer^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French mesurer, inherited from Late Latin mēnsūrō (“to measure, to estimate, to assess”), a late derivative of mēnsūra (“measure”), the source of mesure.^[2][3][1][4] The Late Latin verb, well attested from the 4th century, displaced classical Latin mētior (“to measure”), which survives in Spanish medir, Portuguese medir and in Sardinian.^[2][5][3]

Littré compares Occitan mesurar.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded about 1100 in the Chanson de Roland, in the sense “to find the measure of”: Grant demi pied mesurer i pout hom “one could measure a good half-foot there”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It was used figuratively by about 1190.^[2][3] From about 1220 it is found in the more abstract sense of judging or assessing a quality or a moral worth.^[2][3] In comparison it came to mean “to proportion one thing to another” (1597, Malherbe).^[2][3] Se mesurer à often implies a fight (1636, Corneille's Le Cid: Te mesurer à moi!), and se mesurer des yeux (1674, Boileau) is to size each other up.^[2][3]

With a normative sense the participle mesuré meant “acting with moderation” about 1180, and Cotgrave in 1611 records the verb in the sense of ruling wisely.^[2][3] From the 13th century it also meant to distribute or deal out, and it was taken up in music (1377) and in versification (1674).^[2][3] Like mesure, it became a scientific term especially from the early 19th century.^[3] Old French used it in a range of senses that passed into Anglo-Norman, from measuring a person or a quantity to marking out ground for a camp.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – The Chanson de Roland uses it for finding the measure of something.^[2]
• c. 1180 – The participle mesuré means “moderate” in the Proverbe au vilain.^[2]
• c. 1190 – It is used figuratively in a sermon of Saint Bernard.^[2]
• c. 1220 – Gui de Cambrai uses it for “to judge, to assess”.^[2]
• 1377 – Gace de la Buigne uses it in music.^[2]
• 1597 – Malherbe uses it for proportioning one thing to another.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records the sense “to rule wisely”.^[2]
• 1636 – Corneille's Le Cid has se mesurer à “to take on someone”.^[2]
• 1674 – Boileau writes se mesurer des yeux.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive) To determine a length, an area or a volume by comparison with a unit, to measure: mesurer une chambre.^[8][9]
2. (transitive) To determine the value of a measurable quantity: mesurer la température.^[8][10]
3. (transitive) To judge, to assess the extent or importance of something: mesurer les risques.^[8][2]
4. (transitive) To give or use sparingly, to deal out: mesurer ses paroles.^[2][8]
5. (transitive) To proportion one thing to another.^[2][3]
6. (intransitive) To have a given size or height: elle mesure un mètre soixante.^[9][1]
7. Se mesurer à or avec: to pit oneself against someone.^[2][3]

Word family

• mesurable
• mesurage
• mesureur
• mesuré
• remesurer

Related words

• mesure
• Latin mēnsūra

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 p q r s t u v 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 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. 6/1, 724a
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)