partir

Pronunciation

• IPA: /paʁ.tiʁ/^[1]

Forms

partir^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French partir, inherited from Latin partiō (“to divide, share”), the popular form of classical partior, from pars (“part”).^[2][3][1][4] It first meant “to divide, share out”; the sense “to leave” came from the reflexive “se partir de” “to separate oneself from”, recorded in 1138, and, from “partir de” (a person, a place), through the idea of separation.^[3][5][6]

In the sense “to divide” “partir” was ousted by partager and by départir and répartir; the Trévoux dictionary still records it in 1771, and it survives in some dialects of the north and north-west, in Occitan and in the phrase “avoir maille à partir”.^[7][3]

Cognate with Italian partire, Old Occitan partir and Spanish partir.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) in the sense “to divide”: Non fut partiz sos vestimenz “his garment was not divided”.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to leave, go away” appears in 1138 (Gaimar) in se partir de, which was later replaced by the simple verb and by s'en aller, partir used absolutely is found in 1160.^[3][6] The euphemism partir de cest siecle “to die” (1174–1176) lies behind partir “to die” (1680).^[3] By the end of the 12th century partir de also meant “to come from, emanate from”, then abstractly (1580), as in partir d'un principe (1751).^[3]

Partir was said of a shot fired (about 1475), of an animal starting off (1606) and of mail being sent (1690).^[3] In Quebec French partir is used transitively for “to start” (partir une auto, partir en affaires).^[3][1] The old sense “to divide” survives in heraldry (écu parti, about 1210) and in avoir maille à partir, literally “to have a halfpenny to share”.^[7][3][8]

Timeline

• Late 10th century – “To divide” in the Passion de Clermont.^[7]
• 1138 – Se partir “to leave”, in Gaimar.^[6][3]
• 1160 – Partir used absolutely, “to go away”.^[3]
• 1174–1176 – Partir de cest siecle “to die”.^[3]
• c. 1210 – Heraldic armes parties.^[7]
• c. 1475 – Of a shot, “to go off”.^[3]
• 1771 – Trévoux still records partir “to divide”.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To leave, go away, depart: Il est parti, partir de chez soi.^[9][1]
2. To set off for: partir en vacances, partir pour Paris.^[7][10]
3. To start, get going: C'est parti !^[11][6]
4. Partir de: to come from, originate in, à partir de, from.^[1][3]
5. Of a shot or projectile: to go off.^[3]
6. (euphemistic) To die.^[1][3]
7. (Quebec, informal) To start (a car, a business).^[1][3]
8. (archaic) To divide, share, avoir maille à partir avec quelqu'un, to have a bone to pick with someone.^[7][8]

Word family

• départir
• répartir
• repartir
• partance
• partant
• partage
• départager
• parti
• partie
• mi-parti
• charte-partie

Related words

• part
• partager
• sortir
• Latin pars

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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 m n o p q 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. 7, 678b
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)