précédent

Forms

précédent (feminine précédente, masculine plural précédents, feminine plural précédentes)^[1] Middle French precedent, without accents, as in Amyot.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin praecēdēns (“going before”), the present participle of praecēdō (“to walk in front, to come before”) (see précéder),^[3][4][5] from prae (“before”) and cēdō (“to go, to advance”).^[4] It is attested earlier than the verb.^[1][6]

The noun “precedent” (1824) was taken from English precedent, which English had formed from the French adjective and used from 1427 for an earlier case that serves as a guide, especially in government.^[3][4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 13th-century Algorisme, meaning “earlier, that comes before”.^[3][7]

Semantic evolution

In the mid-15th century it also meant “first, existing before something else”, opposed to subséquent, a sense now gone.^[3][4] In space it came to mean “placed before in a series” (1400), and le précédent “the one before” is found in Eustache Deschamps's Art de dictier (1392).^[4][3] Amyot in the 16th century writes le jour precedent for “the day before”.^[2]

The noun sense “precedent” is English: it was first quoted as an English word (1771), then taken into French use (1824), at first in law for an earlier ruling that sets the course of a case.^[3][4] It came to mean any earlier fact that can serve as an example or rule (1830), and the phrase sans précédent “unprecedented” is recorded from 1869.^[4][8]

Timeline

• 13th century – First record, in the Algorisme.^[3]
• 1392 – Eustache Deschamps uses le précédent “the one before”.^[3][4]
• 1400 – Spatial sense “placed before”.^[4]
• 1408 – The adverb précédemment appears.^[3]
• 1546 – Robert Estienne records “that goes in front”.^[3][7]
• 1771 – Delolme quotes precedents as an English word.^[3]
• 1824 – Raymond's dictionary records the noun.^[3][7]
• 1869 – Sans précédent is recorded.^[8][7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That comes immediately before in a series or in space: l'arrêt précédent.^[3][7]
2. previous, earlier in time: le jour précédent “the day before”.^[8][2]

Noun

1. A precedent, an earlier fact or decision that can be cited as an example in a similar case: créer un précédent.^[8][3]
2. Sans précédent: without precedent, never seen before.^[8]

Word family

• précédemment

Related words

• précéder
• antécédent
• Latin praecēdō
• English precedent

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
7. ^ a b c d e f 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