prétention

Forms

prétention f (plural prétentions)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned word from Latin praetentus (“put forward”), the past participle of praetendō (“to stretch forth, put forward”), formed on the model of Latin nouns such as contentiō beside contendō, or dictiō beside dīcō.^[2][3][4] Medieval Latin praetentiō (“dispute”), recorded in 999, may have served as a model;^[3][2] the GLLF and Larousse derive the word directly from it.^[5][6] Bloch and Wartburg describe it as made to serve as the noun of prétendre.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded on 27 March 1489, in a document from Artois or Flanders, in the legal sense “the right one has, or thinks one has, to claim or aspire to something”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Mostly in the plural, the word came to mean “aims, intentions” (1671) and “demands” in a contract or bargain (Retz, before 1679).^[2][3] By extension it was used for claiming a quality or an intellectual or moral merit for oneself (Vauvenargues, before 1747), as in un homme à prétentions (1772), sans prétention (1754), avoir la prétention de and n'avoir aucune prétention (both 1835).^[3][5]

The stress on the ironic or scornful side of such uses led to the sense “pretentiousness, excessive self-satisfaction”, first found in 1828 of a text, in Sainte-Beuve;^[3][2][4] Rey links it to prétentieux (1789) and thinks présomption may have played a part.^[3][2][4]

Timeline

• 1489 – First record, in the legal sense of a right to claim something.^[2][4]
• 1671 – Pomey records the plural “aims, intentions”.^[2]
• before 1679 – Retz uses the plural for “demands”.^[2]
• before 1747 – Vauvenargues uses it for claims to talent or esteem.^[2][3]
• 1754 – Sans prétention is recorded.^[3][5]
• 1789 – The derivative prétentieux appears.^[4]
• 1828 – Sainte-Beuve uses it for the pomposity of a text.^[2][3]
• 1835 – The Académie records il n'a aucune prétention.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A claim to something by a right one asserts or a privilege one demands: des prétentions sur une succession.^[7][8][6]
2. (usually plural) Demands in a contract or bargain, especially the salary one asks for when applying for a job: indiquez vos prétentions.^[7][8]
3. A claim to a quality or advantage: avoir la prétention de “to claim to”, sans prétention “unpretentious”.^[7][3][6]
4. Pretentiousness, excessive self-satisfaction.^[7][1]

Word family

• prétentieux

Related words

• prétendre
• prétendant
• Latin praetendō

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 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 c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)