militer

Forms

militer^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin mīlitō (“to be a soldier, do military service”),^[2][3][4] a derivative of mīles (“soldier”).^[3][4][5] Bloch and Wartburg describe two borrowings: the verb was first taken in the Middle Ages (13th to 15th century) in the sense “to fight”, mostly in the language of theology, and was taken again in 1669 for a new, special sense.^[6]

Cognate with Occitan militar, Spanish militar and Italian militare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rey dates the first record to 1234, after the FEW, in the sense “to make war”, very close to the Latin;^[3] the GLLF cites Huon de Méry, early in the 13th century, for the sense “to fight”.^[5] The TLFi's first record of “to wage war” is from about 1480, in the archives of the Nord.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The old sense “to be a soldier, to fight” lasted into the 16th century;^[4] Littré quotes a 15th-century text, le Jouvencel, in which nobles are meant pour militer et deffendre le peuple.^[7] In the 17th century, first in a legal context, the verb took the abstract sense “to tell in favour of something”: a decree of the Conseil d'État of 11 April 1669 is the first record.^[2][3] Littré in 1873 still says that the word is used only in this figurative sense, with pour or en faveur de, of reasons, arguments and facts.^[7]

The sense now most common, “to act or struggle for a cause, especially a political conviction”, emerged during the Revolution (2 March 1794).^[3][2] The GLLF dates “to fight for a cause” to Balzac, before 1850, and “to play an active part in a party” to Jules Romains in 1932.^[5]

The present participle militant became an adjective in 1370, in a religious context, and gave Église militante, the body of the faithful who struggle during their life on earth;^[3][6] its political senses came in the 19th century.^[3][6]

Timeline

• 1234 – First record, in the sense “to make war”.^[3]
• c. 1480 – Recorded in the sense “to wage war” in the archives of the Nord.^[2]
• 11 April 1669 – A decree of the Conseil d'État uses it for “to be a reason in favour of something”.^[2][5]
• 1794 – First political use, in the records of the Paris sections.^[2][3]
• before 1850 – Balzac uses it for fighting for a cause.^[5][8]
• 1932 – Jules Romains uses it for taking an active part in a party.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. (of things) Militer pour, contre, en faveur de: to be an argument or reason for or against something, to militate: Plusieurs indices militent en faveur de cette hypothèse.^[9][2][1]
2. (of people) To campaign or struggle, without violence, for or against a cause, trying to win others over to one's convictions.^[9][5]
3. (specifically) To be an activist in a party, trade union or association: Elle milite dans un syndicat depuis dix ans.^[9][5]
4. (obsolete) To fight, to make war.^[5][7]

Word family

• militant
• militance
• militantisme

Related words

• militaire
• militariser
• milice
• Latin mīles

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert