noter

Forms

noter^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin notō (“to mark; to write down; to designate; to brand with censure”),^{[2][3][4][1][5]} a derivative of nota (“mark, sign”), which gave note.^[3][6] Rey derives the Latin noun from nōscō (“to get to know”), the source of connaître.^[2] Bloch and Wartburg first record both the noun and the verb as terms of music, in the 12th century.^[6]

Cognate with Old Occitan notar, Spanish notar and Italian notare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Philippe de Thaon's Bestiaire (1121–1134) it means “to be the sign of, to designate, signify”.^[8][2]

Semantic evolution

Most of its other senses appear in the 12th century: keeping something in mind (1155, Wace), noticing (about 1160), perceiving or seeing (about 1170, Chrétien de Troyes) and setting down in writing (1174–1176, Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence), whence “to treat of” (1188) and “to comment on” (1205–1250).^[8][2] The sense “to make known” (1188) was taken over by notifier.^[2] In music it meant “to sing, accompany” (1165), then “to set to music” (1175).^[2]

Like the noun, it moved from a legal sense, “to accuse” (De cöardise l'a noté, Eneas, about 1160, noter d'infamie, 1549), to the neutral modern sense of giving a mark or grade (1855).^[8][2] Marking in a text what one wants to remember is recorded by Estienne in 1538.^[8][2] The adverb notamment (15th century) comes from the present participle notant.^[6]

Timeline

• 1121–1134 – Philippe de Thaon: “to signify”.^[8]
• 1155 – Wace: “to keep in mind”.^[8]
• c. 1160 – Eneas: “to notice”, noter de “to accuse of”.^[8]
• 1165 – In music, “to sing”.^[2]
• 1174–1176 – “To set down in writing”.^[8]
• 1538 – Estienne: to mark what one wants to remember.^[8]
• 1549 – Noter d'infamie.^[8]
• 1855 – To give a mark or grade.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To mark (a passage, an item) with a sign; to tick, underline.^[9][10]
2. To write down so as to remember, to jot down: noter le nom d'une rue.^[9][11]
3. To pay attention to, to notice, notez que…, please note that….^[9][11][1]
4. To give a mark or grade to (a pupil, a piece of work, an employee).^[1][2]
5. To write down (music) in notes.^[7][8]
6. (mathematics) To denote.^[1]
7. (old) Noter d'infamie: to brand with disgrace.^[7][8]

Word family

• notamment
• notateur

Related words

• annoter
• connoter
• dénoter
• note
• notation
• notifier
• Latin notō

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 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. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 198a
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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)