prénom

Forms

prénom m (plural prénoms)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin praenōmen (“first name”), formed from prae (“before”) and nōmen (“name”).^[2][3][4][5] In French it can be analysed as pré- and nom.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is isolated: in 1556 R. Le Blanc's translation of Cardano's De subtilitate speaks of a man who became a Christian and was named de ton prenom.^[2][3] The word is otherwise found only from the end of the 17th century: the Académie has it in 1694 and Furetière in 1701.^[6][7][8][2]

Semantic evolution

Furetière (1701) used it for the Roman praenomen, the name that came before the family name.^[2][3] The modern sense, the personal name joined to the family name that distinguishes the members of a family, is in Richelet in 1732.^[2] In French Christian culture the prénom was usually a saint's name, a custom opposed during the Revolution.^[3]

Timeline

• 1556 – An isolated first record in R. Le Blanc's translation of Cardano.^[2]
• 1694 – Recorded by the Académie.^[6][4]
• 1701 – Furetière records it for the Roman praenomen.^[2][8]
• 1732 – Richelet defines it as a person's given name.^[2]
• 1845 – The verb prénommer is formed.^[3][8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A first name, given name: son deuxième prénom est Louis.^[7][2][1]
2. (history) The Roman praenomen, the name before the family name.^[5][3]

Word family

• prénommer

Related words

• nom
• surnom
• Latin praenōmen

Usage notes

Petit nom (familiar) and nom de baptême are near-synonyms.^[2][7]

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 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France