situer

Forms

situer^[1] Old French adjective sité (1260), remade as situé (1313).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin situō (“to place, to locate”), derived from situs (“position, site”).^[4][2][5][1] The Medieval Latin verb is found from the 13th century.^[2] The older adjective sité (1260) may be a direct borrowing of the classical Latin adjective “situs” “placed” with the suffix -é.^[2]

Compare Occitan situar, Spanish situar and Italian situare.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, in a document of the Coutumes de Lille from the early 14th century, is the past participle sittué, “placed in a certain spot with regard to exposure or surroundings”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The infinitive is first found about 1450–1470 in Arnoul Gréban for “to place in thought”, in the TLFi only in Calvin (1565).^[6][2][4] From the 17th century it meant to place in a hierarchy or in time (1681, Bossuet).^[4][2] In the classical period âme bien située meant a noble-minded soul (1666).^[2] Situer quelqu'un “to place someone in their milieu” appears before 1869 in Sainte-Beuve.^[2][7]

The pronominal se situer first meant to strike an attitude (1677), then “to be located” of things (1823), and in the mid-20th century “to define one's position” on an intellectual question.^[2][4] Etymonline traces the English situate (early 15th century) directly to Medieval Latin.^[8]

Timeline

• early 14th century – The past participle sittué in the Coutumes de Lille.^[4]
• 1375 – The derivative situation.^[5]
• 1549 – Robert Estienne records the infinitive.^[7]
• 1565 – Calvin uses it for placing in thought.^[4]
• 1681 – Bossuet uses it of placing in a whole or in time.^[4]
• 1823 – Boiste records se situer “to be located”.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To place or build in a given spot, usually in the passive: une maison située au bord du lac.^[4][7][1]
2. To locate, to place in thought or in a story: l'auteur situe l'action à Marseille.^[9][4][1]
3. To place in a whole, a hierarchy or a period;^[9][2] situer quelqu'un: to place someone in their background.^[9][2]
4. Se situer: to be located; to stand somewhere on a question.^[4][1][2]

Word family

• situable
• resituer

Related words

• site
• situation
• Latin situs

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert