Etymologically
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propre

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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