Etymologically
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profond

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pʁɔ.fɔ̃/[1]

Forms

profond (feminine profonde, masculine plural profonds, feminine plural profondes)[1] Old French parfunt, parfont (about 1100); profond from the late 14th century, with a few earlier isolated records.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French parfunt, inherited from Latin profundus (“deep; dense; boundless”) with a change of prefix, remade under the influence of the Latin word, “profundus” is formed from prō- and fundus (“bottom”) (see fond).[2][3][5][6][1][7] Because “par-” was felt as the intensive prefix “very” and “-funt” as a simple adjective, “parfond” gave way to “profond”; it survives in the dialects of the north-east.[2][4]

Old Occitan preon and “pregon” come straight from “profundus” with the first vowel dissimilated to /e/.[2][4] Compare Spanish profundo and Italian profondo.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) parfunt describes deep valleys: Li val parfunt et les ewes courant.[2][8] The new form profond is used by Oresme (late 14th century) of water whose bottom is far from the surface.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It was soon used of ditches (1476), of wounds that go deep (1492), of what lies far below ground (1580) and of a body of troops drawn up in depth (1559, Amyot).[2] Figuratively it described a mind that goes to the bottom of things (about 1480), sciences profondes “great learning” (1534, Rabelais), a scholar (1636), an intense and lasting feeling (1524–1527) and an extreme state such as ennui profond (1668).[2][3]

As a noun le profond “the deepest part” dates from 1529; in thieves' slang of 1790 a profonde was a pocket.[2] In Belgian French an assiette profonde is a soup plate.[3] The adverb profondément and the noun profondeur (1377, earlier parfondor) go with it.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Parfunt, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • late 14th century – Profond, Oresme.[2]
  • 1492 – Playes profondes “deep wounds”.[2]
  • 1524–1527 – A deep feeling, Gringore.[2]
  • 1534 – Sciences profundes, Rabelais.[2]
  • 1668 – Ennui profond.[2]
  • 1790 – Slang profonde “pocket”.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. deep: un puits profond, eaux peu profondes; going far below the surface: une blessure profonde.[9][1]
  2. Extending far back: une armoire profonde.[2][9]
  3. profound: going to the heart of things: un esprit profond, une pensée profonde.[9][1]
  4. Intense, extreme: un profond respect, un sommeil profond; dark, rich (of a colour): un bleu profond.[2][3]
  5. Rural, provincial, the heartland: la France profonde.[1]

Noun

  1. (literary) The depths: au plus profond de la forêt.[2][9]

Word family

  • approfondir
  • profondément
  • profondeur
  • fond
  • parfond
  • Latin profundus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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 q r s 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 433b
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert