prématuré

Forms

prématuré (feminine prématurée, masculine plural prématurés, feminine plural prématurées)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin praemātūrus (“precocious, hasty”), taken as a learned word and given the ending -é.^[2][3][1] The Latin adjective, properly “ripe before (time)”, is formed from prae (“before”) and mātūrus (“ripe”), the source of mûr.^[2][4][5] The GLLF calls the Latin word Late Latin and thinks the French adjective was made after the adverb prématurément;^[6] Bloch and Wartburg note that the Latin adverb praemātūrē was borrowed first, in 1509, and was later given the French adverbial suffix (1577).^[7] Littré gave the Latin source as praemātūrātus.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1632, in the accounts of the aldermen of Rouen, of something it is not yet time to undertake.^[3][2][6]

Semantic evolution

Rey notes that the word has always carried a negative judgement: from a step taken too early (1632) it came to qualify whatever happens before its normal time, such as intellectual qualities or passions developing early (1680, Madame de Sévigné) and an untimely death (mort prématurée, 1685).^[2][3] The sense closest to the Latin, of a fruit ripening before the usual time (1690, Furetière), did not last and gave way to précoce.^[2][3]

In the 20th century it was specialised in medicine for a child born before term, both as an adjective and as a noun, recorded by Larousse in 1923;^[2][6][9] the TLFi has a substantive use as early as 1901.^[3] The derived verbs prématurer (1714) and prématuriser (1769) did not take hold.^[2]

Timeline

• 1632 – The adjective is first recorded in the accounts of the aldermen of Rouen.^[3][4]
• 1680 – Madame de Sévigné uses it of something that develops before its normal time.^[3][2]
• 1685 – Mort prématurée appears.^[3][2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “ripening before the usual time”.^[3]
• 1923 – Larousse records it for a child born before term, as adjective and noun.^[6][9][2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Too early to be undertaken, premature: une décision prématurée;^[10][11] il est prématuré de + infinitive, it is too soon to.^[10][11]
2. Done or announced too early.^[10][11]
3. Happening before the normal time, untimely: une mort prématurée.^[10][6]
4. Born before term: des jumeaux prématurés.^[10][6]

Noun

1. A preterm baby, a child born before term.^[6][1]

Related words

• précoce
• prématurément
• prématurité
• mûr
• maturité
• Latin praemātūrus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 298b
6. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)