Etymologically
Log in

sembler

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 05:50. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɑ̃.ble/[1]

Forms

sembler[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French sembler, inherited from Late Latin similō (“to be like; to seem”), from similis (“like, similar”).[2][3][4][5][1] Latin “similis” goes back to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one; same”), also in Sanskrit सम (sama) and Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (sama).[3][1] The “b” arose between “m” and “l”.[6] Its learned doublet is simuler.[1]

Outside Gallo-Romance the verb has a regular form only in Romanian semăna (“to resemble”) and Catalan semblar, Bloch and Wartburg consider Italian sembrare and Spanish “semblar” borrowed.[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1100 the Chanson de Roland already uses it in the two main ways: with an attribute (“to look, appear”) and impersonally, me semblet with an infinitive.[2][3] The Laws of William the Conqueror have Nous ne semble pas raisoun “it does not seem right to us”.[6]

Semantic evolution

The Latin sense “to resemble” lived on in Old French (sembler à qqn, about 1145) but dropped out of good usage in the 17th century; it survives regionally in Provence, Switzerland, Belgium, Normandy and Quebec (il semble son frère).[2][3][4] ressembler took over that sense.[4]

Sembler with an infinitive dates from 1174–76.[2] The impersonal il semble que is found from 1188 or 1250, ce me semble from 1160–74, si bon me semble from 1549 and semble-t-il from 1916 (Gide).[2][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Sembler and me semblet in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1145 – Sembler à “to resemble”, in Wace.[2]
  • 1160–1174 – Ce me semble.[2]
  • 1188 – Il semble que.[2]
  • 1549 – Si bon me semble.[3]
  • 17th century – The sense “to resemble” is condemned.[3]
  • 1916 – Semble-t-il in Gide.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To seem, appear, look: elle semble fatiguée.[8][9]
  2. With an infinitive, to seem to: il semble dormir.[2][8]
  3. Il semble que, il me semble que: it seems (to me) that.[2][8]
  4. Comme bon vous semble, si bon lui semble: as you please, if he wishes.[1][8]
  5. (regional, dated) To resemble: il semble son père.[3][2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 623b
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)