prolonger

Forms

prolonger^[1] Old French prolonjer (1213), prolongier (1219), prolonguer (13th–18th centuries).^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin prōlongō (“to lengthen, make last, put off”), a verb of the Vulgate, taken over in 1213.^[4][2][3][5] The Latin verb is formed from prō- (“forward”) and longus (“long”).^[4][6][7] From the 13th to the 18th century the spelling with ⟨gu⟩ was frequent;^[3][7][5] the spelling with ⟨g⟩ won, helped by allonger.^[3][7][5] Wiktionary compares Old French porloignier.^[1]

Cognate with Walloon prolongi, Occitan perlongar, Spanish prolongar and Italian prolungare.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Faits des Romains (1213) it means “to extend the length of time”, of Caesar's grants: les prolonjoit d'an en an (“he extended them from year to year”).^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

It came in with the temporal senses of the Latin: “to make last longer”, which has lived on, and “to put off, delay” (1219), which has fallen out of use though Las Cases still used it early in the 19th century.^[2][4] Prolonger la vie is found about 1265 and prolonger les jours in 1564; familiarly, prolonger quelqu'un (1884) is to keep a sick person alive longer.^[2][4]

In the 16th century the verb passed from time to space, “to make longer” (1538), when the Latinizing form prolonguer came back (1541).^[2][4] With a thing as subject it means “to form the continuation of” (1761).^[2][4] In seamanship prolonger un navire is to sail alongside a ship (1678).^[4]

Timeline

• 1213 – First found in the Faits des Romains, “to extend in time”.^[4]
• 1219 – Prolongier “to delay” is recorded.^[4][2]
• c. 1265 – Brunetto Latini uses prolonger la vie.^[4][6]
• 1538 – The spatial sense “to make longer” appears.^[4][2]
• 1678 – Nautical prolonger un navire.^[4]
• 1761 – “To form the continuation of” appears.^[4][2]
• 1884 – Zola uses prolonger quelqu'un.^[4][2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To prolong, make last longer: prolonger un séjour, prolonger un délai; reflexive se prolonger, to go on longer than expected.^[8][4]
2. To make longer in space, extend: prolonger une ligne de tramway.^[8][4]
3. Of a thing: to be the continuation of: un sentier prolonge la route.^[4][2]
4. (familiar) To keep a sick or injured person alive longer.^[4][7]
5. (nautical) To sail alongside a ship or a coast.^[4][6]
6. (dated) To put off, delay.^[4][6]

Word family

• prolonge
• prolongement
• prolongateur
• prolongeable

Related words

• long
• allonger
• prolongation
• Latin prōlongō

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d 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