promenade

Forms

promenade f (plural promenades)^[1] First written pourmenade (1557); promenade from 1636 (Monet).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French promener + -ade.^[4][3][1][5] The first form pourmenade was formed on pourmener, the older form of promener.^[4][2] That verb, Old French pourmener “to lead about” (about 1150), was formed from pour- and mener, and was reshaped after the many verbs beginning with ⟨pro-⟩ (1365).^[4] The verb mener goes back to Vulgar Latin minō (“to drive (animals) with shouts”), from minor (“to threaten”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Julyot's Élégies de la belle fille (1557) has pourmenade for the act of going for a walk.^[4][2] The TLFi's first record of the present spelling is Hornkens' dictionary (1599), for a place where people walk.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The word named both the act of walking for pleasure and the place laid out for it (1599); the act is recorded by Pomey in 1671.^[4] Furetière (1690) records a short, easy journey, and Littré the military promenade, a march to train troops, and figuratively an easy campaign.^[4][7] Its figurative use for something done without effort survives in une promenade de santé.^[8][9] Later uses include the exercise of internal pupils (1868, Daudet) and of prisoners, and a figure in a pas de deux in ballet.^[2][10]

English borrowed it in the 1560s for a leisurely walk, and used it for a place to walk from the 1640s and for a walkway by the sea from the late 18th century.^[11]

Timeline

• 1557 – Pourmenade in Julyot.^[4]
• 1560s – English borrows the word.^[11]
• 1599 – Hornkens records it for a place to walk.^[4]
• 1636 – Monet spells it promenade.^[2]
• 1671 – Pomey records the act of walking.^[4]
• 1690 – Furetière records a short, easy journey.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A walk or outing for pleasure, on foot, by car, on horseback or by boat: faire une promenade.^[9][10]
2. A place laid out for walking, a public walk or promenade: la promenade des Anglais, in Nice.^[12][10]
3. (figurative) An easy undertaking: une promenade de santé, promenade militaire, an easy campaign.^[8][7]
4. (ballet) In a pas de deux, a slow turn of the ballerina on point, supported by her partner as he walks round her.^[10]

Related words

• promener
• promeneur
• promenoir
• mener

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 110a
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)