payer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pɛ.je/^[1]
• IPA: /pe.je/^[1]

Forms

payer^[1] Old French paiier, paier.^[1][2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French paier, inherited from Latin pācō (“to pacify, make peace”), derived from pāx (“peace”) (see paix).^{[3][4][5][6][1]} In Late Latin, from the 4th century, the verb took the moral sense “to appease, satisfy”, which explains the Romance sense “to satisfy with money”.^[5][4][3] Littré explains it simply: payment appeases.^[7]

Cognate with Old Occitan pagar, Spanish pagar and Italian pagare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the second half of the 10th century in the Vie de saint Léger, reflexive, in the sense “to make peace with someone”, used until the 13th century; at the end of the 10th century the Passion of Clermont has it for “to be satisfied with”.^[3][4][2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to give what is owed” appears in Chrétien de Troyes (1170); it probably spread from the south, Old Occitan pagar being recorded a little earlier (1137).^[3][4][5] Payer then drove out Old and Middle French soudre, from Latin solvō (“to loosen; to pay”), used from the 12th to the 15th century.^[4][5] It meant “to pay someone, reward” in Marie de France (1180), and paier de cos “to pay with blows” in Chrétien (1176–1180).^[3]

Figurative uses grew in the 16th and 17th centuries: payer en monnaie de singe (1585), payer “to atone for” (1538), payer de sa personne “to put oneself out” (1635).^[3] In 1875 it took the sense “to bring in a profit, pay off”.^[3]

Timeline

• 2nd half of the 10th century – Reflexive paier “to be reconciled”, in the Vie de saint Léger.^[3]
• 1170 – “To pay what is owed”, in Chrétien de Troyes.^[3]
• c. 1170 – Paie and paiement.^[5]
• 1180 – “To pay someone”, in Marie de France.^[3]
• 1255 – Payable.^[5]
• 1585 – Payer en monnoye de singe.^[3]
• 1635 – Payer de sa personne.^[3]
• 1875 – “To pay off, be profitable”.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To pay a person what is owed: payer un employé, être payé au mois.^[8]
2. To pay a sum, a bill, a debt: payer l'addition.^[8][3]
3. To pay for something, (familiar) to buy for someone: je te paie un verre.^[8]
4. To pay for a fault, atone for: il me le paiera.^[3]
5. To be profitable, pay off: le crime ne paie pas.^[3]
6. Payer de sa personne: to make a personal effort.^[3]

Word family

• paie
• paiement
• payable
• paye
• payeur
• impayé

Related words

• paix
• pacifier
• Latin pācō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b 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 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
4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 454a
7. ^ a b 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