représenter

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ʁə.pʁe.zɑ̃.te/^[1]

Forms

représenter^[1] The Académie wrote representer in 1694 and 1718, représenter from 1740.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin repraesentō (“to make present, bring before the eyes; to reproduce”), formed with the intensive re- on praesentō (“to present”), from praesēns (“present”).^{[3][4][5][6][1]} In Late Latin it also meant “to bring before someone” (6th century), “to hand over to justice” (8th century) and “to take someone's place” (5th century).^[3]

Compare Occitan representar, Spanish representar and Italian rappresentare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1175 it means to make the image of an abstract thing appear, concretely or symbolically, and to bring someone or something back to memory.^[3][5][8]

Semantic evolution

By the late 12th century it meant to present a play on stage, a sense Bloch and Wartburg date from 1538, and before 1553 to play a part.^[3][4][8] About 1278 it is used of painting and sculpture (the Roman de la Rose: car le vin son sang represente).^[3][7] In law and administration, from 1283 (Beaumanoir: the bailiff represente la persone de son seigneur), it meant to hold someone's place, to act for a group or country, and in general use from 1530, représenter “to be the sales representative of” followed in the 19th century.^[3][4][7]

In classical French it also meant to point out respectfully (1611), whence représentations “remonstrances”.^[3] Représenter “to stand for, be the equivalent of” dates from 1708, and absolutely “to make an impression, have presence” from 1694.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1175 – “To represent; to recall”.^[3]
• Late 12th century – To present on stage.^[3]
• c. 1278 – In the visual arts.^[3]
• 1283 – “To act for”, in law.^[3][4]
• 1508 – Représentant, in law.^[4]
• 1611 – “To point out respectfully”.^[3]
• 1708 – “To be the equivalent of”.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To represent, depict: le tableau représente une scène de chasse; to show by a sign or symbol.^[8][1]
2. To stand for, symbolize; to amount to: cela représente un gros effort.^[8][3]
3. To act for, be the representative of: représenter son pays, représenter une société.^[1][8]
4. To perform, stage (a play).^[2][8]
5. Se représenter: to imagine, picture: se représenter la scène.^[8][9]
6. To present again (also se représenter, to stand again, come up again: se représenter à un examen).^[9][2]
7. (literary) To point out: représenter à quelqu'un les dangers de….^[3][8]

Word family

• représentation
• représentant
• représentatif
• représentable

Related words

• présenter
• présent
• Latin repraesentō

Usage notes

The TLFi gives a numbered entry of its own to représenter “to present again”, formed in French with re- on présenter; it is found once in Adenet le Roi (about 1275) and again from 1800.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 n o p q 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. ^ a b 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. 10, 270a
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse