opposer

Forms

opposer^[1] Old French oposer, also aposer.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin oppōnō (“to place before, set against, object”), reshaped after poser.^[2][3][5][6] The Latin verb is formed from ob (“before”) and pōnō (“to place”).^[3][6] Littré instead took the verb as formed on opposition.^[7]

The Old French variants oposer and aposer passed into English as appose.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's earliest record is the reflexive verb “to rebel, disobey” in the Jeu d'Adam (mid-12th century).^[2] In Chrétien de Troyes's Cligès (1176) oposer means to raise an objection;^[2] the Grand Robert dates this sense to 1165, and the Anglo-Norman Dictionary has the verb from 1136–1165.^[6][4]

Semantic evolution

From “to object” the verb came to mean to resist (about 1224), to place something as an obstacle (Montaigne, 1580) and to set one person against another (Molière, 1671).^[2][3] The concrete Latin sense “to place one thing facing another” (1321) has always been rare.^[3] From the idea of contrast it is used of setting colours or light and shade against each other (1762) and of comparing two very different things.^[3]

The reflexive verb meant “to rebel, disobey” in the Jeu d'Adam (mid-12th century), then “to obstruct” and, in 1480, s'opposer à “to refuse one's consent to”.^[2][3] The participle opposant was a legal term (1331, 1431) before becoming political (1751).^[3][2]

Timeline

• Mid-12th century – Reflexive “to rebel” in the Jeu d'Adam.^[2]
• 1176 – Oposer “to object” in Chrétien de Troyes.^[2]
• c. 1224 – The sense “to resist”.^[2][3]
• 1321 – “To place facing something”.^[2]
• 1480 – S'opposer à “to refuse one's consent”.^[2]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses it for placing an obstacle.^[2]
• 1671 – Molière's Psyché sets one person against another.^[2]
• 1845–1846 – Bescherelle records à l'opposé.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To put forward as an objection: on lui a opposé son manque d'expérience.^[8][2]
2. To set people against each other in a fight or contest: le match opposera deux équipes de Lyon.^[8][9]
3. To place something as an obstacle: opposer une barrière à l'eau.^[8][9]
4. To place facing something; to contrast two things.^[9][3]
5. S'opposer à: to oppose, to resist, to refuse one's consent.^[1][2]

Word family

• opposant
• opposé
• opposable

Related words

• opposition
• poser
• Latin oppōnō

References

1. ^ a b c 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 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. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse