Etymologically
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précis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pʁe.si/[1]

Forms

précis (feminine précise, masculine plural précis, feminine plural précises)[1] Pressis (1404; early 17th century, d'Aubigné); precis in the Académie dictionary of 1694 and 1718, précis from 1740.[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin praecīsus (“cut off; abrupt, (rhetoric) abridged”), past participle of praecīdō (“to cut off in front; to shorten”), from prae (“before”) and caedō (“to strike, cut”).[2][3][4][5][6] In French it took the abstract sense “determined, defined”, that is, mentally cut off, marked out by thought.[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Oresme (1377) uses it for what is located at an exactly determined place, lieu propre et precis, and for an exactly determined quantity, proporcionalité precise.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Christine de Pizan (1404) has a jour pressis for an exact point in time, and d'Aubigné midi pressis “noon sharp”.[2][3] From the 16th century it was used of things of the mind and of language: expressed clearly, without superfluous words (1549, Robert Estienne, Montaigne's commandements precis), clearly represented in the mind (1667), and rendered with great exactness (1810, Mme de Staël).[2][3][7]

By metonymy it described a person who expresses himself clearly (1671), a precise style (1670) and a rigorous mind (1680, Bossuet), then movements exactly suited to their aim (1803) and a person who keeps to time (1907).[3][2] It was said of an accurate instrument (1797), a sure eye (1823) and a well-aimed fire (1931).[2][3] As a noun, précis is a summary (1663, pressis, Bossuet) and a short handbook (1794, un petit précis de l'histoire de l'astronomie).[2][8][5] préciser dates from 1797 and imprécis from 1886.[4]

Timeline

  • 1377 – “Exactly determined”, in Oresme.[2]
  • 1404 – A jour pressis, in Christine de Pizan.[2]
  • 1549 – “Clearly expressed”, in Robert Estienne.[2]
  • 1663 – Pressis “summary”, in Loret.[2]
  • 1680 – Of a rigorous mind, in Bossuet.[2][3]
  • 1794 – Précis, a short handbook, in Chénier.[2]
  • 1797 – Of an accurate instrument; the verb préciser.[2][4]
  • 1886 – Imprécis.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Precise, clear, leaving no room for doubt: idées précises, sans raison précise.[9][1]
  2. Exact, accurately determined: un endroit précis; of a time, sharp.[2][3][1]
  3. Accurate, done with precision: un tir précis.[2][1]
  4. Of language or a person, concise and accurate.[1][2]
  5. Of movements, exactly adapted to their aim.[2]

Noun

  1. A concise summary, a précis; a short handbook: précis de grammaire.[9][1]

Word family

  • préciser
  • précisément
  • précision
  • imprécis
  • imprécision

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s 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 c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert