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propre

Etymology and origin of the French word propre

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1130, Lois de Guillaume
Borrowed from
Latin proprius
Ultimate origin
Latin (proprius)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin proprius
English proper
French propre

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pʁɔpʁ/[1]

Forms

propre (plural propres)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin proprius (“one's own, not shared; special; appropriate”).[2][3][4][5][6][1] “Proprius” was probably formed from the phrase “prō prīvō” “as a private matter”, from prō and the ablative of prīvus (“single, private”).[3] Littré related it instead to prope (“near”).[7]

Compare Occitan propri, Spanish propio and Italian proprio.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1130 in the Lois de Guillaume (en soun propre chastel), meaning “belonging to someone”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Propre nuns “proper name” is in Wace (1155), and nom propre in 1549.[2][3] About 1265 it meant “fitting, apt”, of words, and the sens propre of a word is opposed to the figurative.[2][3] “Able to, fit for” is from 1370, and propre à, propre pour from about 1485, propre à tout, propre à rien is from 1798 and propre-à-rien from 1844.[2][3]

The sense “neat, tidy” appears occasionally from about 1280, but “clean” as opposed to dirty dates from the middle of the 17th century (propre comme une escuelle à chat, 1640).[2][4] Placed before the noun it stresses ownership: de ses propres mains.[1][3] The noun le propre, an own property (1213), survives in en propre.[2][3] Derivatives include propreté (1539), propret and malpropre.[4]

Timeline

  • 1130 – “One's own”, in the Lois de Guillaume.[2]
  • 1155 – Propre nuns in Wace.[2]
  • c. 1265 – “Fitting”, in Brunetto Latini.[2]
  • c. 1280 – “Neat, trim”.[2]
  • 1539 – Propreté.[4]
  • 1549 – Nom propre.[2]
  • 1640 – “Clean”, in Oudin.[2]
  • 1844 – Propre-à-rien.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (before the noun) own: ma propre voiture, de ses propres yeux.[1][3]
  2. (after the noun) clean: des mains propres.[1][4]
  3. (of a child) Toilet-trained, (of a pet) house-trained.[1]
  4. Propre à: peculiar to, characteristic of; suited to.[1][3]
  5. (of a word) Literal, proper: le sens propre, nom propre.[3][2]
  6. (mathematics) Eigen-: valeur propre “eigenvalue”.[1]

Noun

  1. Le propre de: the characteristic feature of, en propre: as one's own.[3][2]
  2. Au propre: in the literal sense, mettre au propre: to make a fair copy.[3][8]

Word family

  • proprement
  • propreté
  • propret
  • malpropre
  • propre-à-rien
  • approprier
  • exproprier
  • propriété
  • Latin proprius

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 457a
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Propre.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/propre. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·