pontife

Forms

pontife m (plural pontifes)^[1] First in the Latin form pontifex (about 980), then pontifice (1294) and pontif (about 1508); pontife from 1538.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin pontifex (“pontiff, in Christian Latin priest, bishop, prelate”), used first in its Latin form and later made French.^[3][2][5] The Latin word, a term of Roman religious institutions, is formed from pōns (“bridge”) and -fex, from faciō (“to make, do”), and so literally means “bridge-maker”.^[2][6][4] According to Varro the first pontiffs were tied to the building of the Pons Sublicius, a wooden bridge over the Tiber;^[2][4] Rey thinks this may be only a folk etymology, since nothing in the pontiffs' duties had to do with bridges.^[2] Littré also calls the explanation far from certain and lists others: “to sacrifice on the bridge”, or a link with an Oscan word for “five”.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Around 980 the Passion uses the Latin form pontifex for the Jewish high priest.^[3][2][7] The French form pontifice appears in 1294 in the Miracles de saint Éloi as a title of the pope.^[3]

Semantic evolution

In Catholic usage it became the title of the pope, strengthened as souverain pontife about 1504 (earlier romain pontifiche, late 13th century), and was then applied to a bishop (1564) or another prelate.^[2][3] More generally it named anyone holding a sacred office (1538, Robert Estienne), and it became a term of Roman antiquity (1680).^[2][3]

It then passed into everyday speech, first for a rich man (1611, Cotgrave) and then for someone who holds authority in some field (pontifes du crime, André Chénier, 1794).^[2][3] From 1872 it took an ironic, familiar value, as an adjective in Flaubert and as a noun from 1888, of a self-important person, close to the familiar sense of ponte.^[2][3] The verb pontifier took its modern sense “to speak pompously” in the 19th century under the influence of this use.^[2][5]

Timeline

• c. 980 – The Passion uses pontifex of the Jewish high priest.^[3][2]
• 1294 – Pontifice as a title of the pope.^[3]
• c. 1504 – Souverain pontif is recorded.^[3][2]
• 1538 – Robert Estienne uses pontife of a person in a sacred office.^[3][4]
• 1564 – Used of a bishop.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records the sense “rich man”.^[3]
• 1680 – Richelet uses it of a minister of a cult.^[3]
• 1794 – Chénier writes pontifes du crime.^[3]
• 1872 – Flaubert uses it as an adjective, “pompous”.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Roman history) A member of the college of pontiffs, the priests in charge of religious matters;^[8][3] grand pontife, its head.^[8][3]
2. (Catholicism) A high prelate, a bishop;^[8][3][6] le souverain pontife, the pope.^[8][3][6]
3. (familiar, often ironic) A person of authority in some field who is full of his own importance: un pontife du barreau.^[8][3]

Word family

• pontifier

Related words

• pontifical
• pontificat
• ponte
• pont
• Latin pontifex
• English pontiff

Usage notes

Littré records the frères pontifes, an association of bridge builders founded by Saint Bénézet at the end of the 12th century and centred on Avignon.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert