présomptif

Forms

présomptif (feminine présomptive, masculine plural présomptifs, feminine plural présomptives)^[1] Middle French presumptif (1406); the spelling présomptif is recorded from 1671.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin praesūmptīvus (“based on a conjecture, presumptuous”), from the supine of Latin praesūmō (“to take beforehand, presume”).^[4][5][6][1] Rey notes that the Late Latin word also described a bold person.^[5] Bloch and Wartburg see the borrowing as made for a special sense.^[6] Littré compares Old Occitan presomtiu.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Ovide moralisé of the early 14th century uses it in the sense “showing presumption”, presumptuous.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

The psychological sense “bold, proud” went out of use, displaced by présomptueux.^[5] The word survived in law, where héritier présomptif (1406) is the person who, while someone is alive, is in line to succeed them.^[4][5] In a monarchy the phrase came to mean the prince destined to reign by order of birth, as in Marivaux (1723).^[4][5] From 1845 Labiche and others used présomptif alone, as a noun, for a child or son.^[4][8]

Timeline

• early 14th century – The Ovide moralisé uses it for “presumptuous”.^[4]
• 1375 – John Gower writes presumptif “presumptuous”.^[3][6]
• 1406 – Héritier presumptif appears in the archives of Brittany.^[4][3]
• c. 1460 – The adverb présomptivement is derived.^[5]
• 1671 – Pomey has the spelling présomptif.^[3][2]
• 1723 – Marivaux uses it of the prince who will reign.^[4]
• 1845 – Labiche uses it as a noun for a child.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Héritier présomptif, héritière présomptive: the person designated in advance by kinship or order of birth to inherit from someone, the heir presumptive.^[4][9][7]
2. Héritier présomptif de la couronne: the prince destined to succeed the sovereign.^[3][9][7]

Word family

• présomptivement

Related words

• présumer
• présomption
• présomptueux
• Latin praesūmptīvus
• English presumptive

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c 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