préféré

Forms

préféré (feminine préférée, masculine plural préférés, feminine plural préférées)^[1]

Etymology

Used as an adjective, it is the past participle from French préférer.^[2][3][4][5] The verb, recorded from about 1355, is from Latin praeferō (“to carry in front”), from prae- (“before”) and ferō (“to carry”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The participle is used as an adjective from 1360, in a text published in Isambert's collection of old French laws, for what is preferred to others.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

Its use as a noun for a person who is loved more than others, often with a possessive (c'est son préféré), is recorded from 1711, in Dancourt's Céphale et Procris.^[2][3] In modern French the adjective is said of people (a favourite child, friend or painter) and of things (a favourite book or record).^[2][5] The TLFi gives favori and the familiar chouchou as synonyms of the noun.^[2]

Timeline

• 1360 – The past participle is used as an adjective.^[3][4]
• 1711 – Dancourt uses préféré as a noun.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Favourite, liked better than the others: Quel est ton film préféré ? “What is your favourite film?”^[2][5][1]

Noun

1. A favourite person, the one who is loved best: Le petit dernier était le préféré de sa grand-mère. “The youngest was his grandmother's favourite.”^[2][5][6]

Related words

• préférer
• préférence
• favori

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette