précautionner

Forms

précautionner^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French précaution + -er.^[2][3][4] précaution is from Latin praecautiō, from praecaveō (“to take care, guard against”).^[5] The TLFi's first record is from before 1573;^[2][6] the GLLF finds the past participle in 1640 and the infinitive in 1671, the date Bloch and Wartburg and the Robert give.^[7][5][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, from before 1573 in Michel de L'Hospital's writing on the reform of justice, is the pronominal se précautionner contre “to take one's precautions against”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The past participle was used as an adjective meaning “cautious, guarded”, first of a reply in Richelieu (1640), then of a person in Bossuet (1689).^[2][6] Se précautionner de “to provide oneself with” appears in 1678 in Saint-Réal, and the transitive “to put someone on guard against something” in 1682.^[2][6]

The first pronominal construction has gone out of use, and the other uses of the verb and of the adjective précautionné are now old-fashioned or literary.^[6][4]

Timeline

• Before 1573 – Se précautionner contre appears in Michel de L'Hospital.^[2][6]
• 1640 – Richelieu writes of a réponse précautionnée.^[2][7]
• 1671 – The infinitive and the pronominal verb are recorded (Bouhours).^[7][5][4]
• 1678 – Se précautionner de “to provide oneself with” in Saint-Réal.^[2][6]
• 1682 – Transitive use, “to forewarn someone”.^[2][6]
• 1689 – Bossuet uses précautionné of a person.^[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. (obsolete) To forewarn, to put someone on guard against something.^[4][2][1]
2. se précautionner (dated or literary): to take one's precautions, to guard oneself (against something).^[4][2][7]
3. se précautionner de (dated): to provide oneself with something.^[4][2]
4. The past participle précautionné is used as an adjective: cautious, prudent.^[4][6]

Related words

• précaution
• précautionneux
• Latin praecautiō

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c 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 f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse