preste

Forms

preste (plural prestes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian presto (“quick, nimble”), recorded from Dante (1300–1313), which comes from Late Latin praestus (“ready”).^[2][3][4][5] It is thus a doublet of prêt¹, the inherited outcome of the same Latin word.^[1][3]

Old French had its own adjective prest “ready, agile, prompt”, and Littré notes that in the old language its forms cannot be told apart from those of the Italian borrowing.^[3][6] In Middle French the borrowing was first used as a feminine beside the masculine prest; when that adjective went out of use, the borrowing served for both genders.^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Cent Nouvelles nouvelles (1456–1467), as a feminine meaning “quick, nimble”: celle qui avoit la langue plus preste.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The adjective joins the ideas of skill and speed, and is said of people and of their actions; the TLFi finds no masculine use before Pomey's dictionary of 1671, which gives both genders.^[2][3] It was applied to movements and gestures by 1753 (Buffon) and used figuratively by about 1772 (Rousseau).^[7] Today it belongs to written or formal style.^[3][8]

An adverbial and exclamatory use, preste! “quick!”, is found from 1648 (Scarron) and in 19th-century popular speech;^[7][3][2] Rey takes it either for a French form of presto or for a shortening of prestement.^[7][3][2] The adverb prestement took the place in the 15th century of an older prestement formed on prest.^[3][4] In 1823 preste was the base of the coinage prestidigitateur “conjurer”.^[3]

Timeline

• 1456–1467 – First record, as a feminine, in the Cent Nouvelles nouvelles.^[2][3]
• 1583–1584 – The noun prestesse is borrowed from Italian prestezza.^[3]
• 1648 – Scarron uses preste as an adverb, “quickly”.^[7]
• 1671 – Pomey records the adjective in both genders.^[2][3]
• 1753 – Buffon applies it to movements.^[7]
• 1823 – Prestidigitateur is coined from it.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (literary) Quick and agile, nimble: un pas preste, avoir la main preste.^[2][8][1]
2. Of a reply or a movement: prompt and deft.^[6][7]

Adverb

1. (dated, familiar) Quickly, at once; used as an exclamation: allons, preste !^[2][6]

Word family

• prestement
• prestidigitateur

Related words

• prêt¹
• presto
• prestesse
• Latin praestus

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 g h i j k l m n 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. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert