préparer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pʁe.pa.ʁe/^[1]

Forms

préparer^[1] The Académie wrote preparer in 1694 and 1718 and préparer from 1740.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin praeparō (“to make ready beforehand”), formed from prae- (“before”) and parō (“to make ready, arrange”), the source of parer.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} “Préparation” (about 1282) and “préparatoire” (1322) were borrowed separately from the Latin derivatives.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1314, in Henri de Mondeville's Chirurgie, in the medical sense “to dress (a wound)”, peculiar to Middle French.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In 1370–1380 it meant to make a thing ready for its use, and it was soon applied in many trades: cooking (1510), chemistry (1563, Palissy), the dressing of wool and skins (1690) and, in music, préparer une dissonance (1705).^[2][3] Eustache Deschamps (1406) uses it for making arrangements for an event, and, from 1821 it is used of preparing for an examination.^[2][3]

With a person as object it meant “to make someone ready for a purpose” (1485), and the Académie recorded préparer un élève in 1694.^[2] The reflexive se préparer “to get ready” is also from 1485; it came to mean “to be about to” (1604) and, of things, “to be in the offing” (Corneille, 1639).^[2][3] In African French préparer used without an object means “to cook”.^[7]

Timeline

• 1314 – “To dress (a wound)”, in Henri de Mondeville.^[2]
• 1370–1380 – “To make ready for use”.^[2]
• 1406 – “To make arrangements”, in Eustache Deschamps.^[2]
• 1485 – Se préparer; preparing a person, in the Mystère du Viel Testament.^[2]
• 1510 – Preparing food, in Gringore.^[2]
• 1694 – Préparer un élève in the Académie's dictionary.^[2]
• 1821 – Preparing for an examination.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To prepare, get ready for use: préparer la table, préparer ses affaires.^[8][9]
2. To prepare (food): préparer le dîner.^[2][3]
3. To arrange, organize: préparer une fête, un voyage.^[10][9]
4. To study for: préparer un examen.^[3]
5. To make (someone) ready: préparer un élève, préparer quelqu'un à une mauvaise nouvelle.^[3][2]
6. To pave the way for: préparer le terrain.^[1][8]
7. Se préparer: to get ready; to be in the offing.^[3]
8. (music) To prepare (a dissonance).^[2]
9. (Africa) To cook.^[7]

Word family

• préparateur
• préparatif

Related words

• préparation
• préparatoire
• parer
• Latin praeparō

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 n o p 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 j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 300b
7. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse