soutenance

Forms

soutenance f (plural soutenances)^[1] Old French soustenance (about 1155, Wace), sostenance (about 1160, Benoît de Sainte-Maure) and soutenance (about 1265, Jean de Meun).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French soutenir + -ance.^[4][1] The TLFi compares Medieval Latin sustinentia (“support”), recorded from the 6th century.^[4][1] The modern sense, the defence of a thesis, was taken from soutenant “one who defends a thesis”, recorded from 1660.^[5][3][6]

Littré cites Occitan sostenensa and Italian sostenenza, and the same word for support and subsistence in the dialect of Berry.^[7] The verb soutenir is from Vulgar Latin *sustenio, a remodelling of Latin sustineō after tenir.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace has soustenance about 1155 for subsistence and food;^[2][8] the TLFi's first record, Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie about 1165, has the senses “subsistence, support”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Until the 16th century the word meant subsistence and food, and by extension the fact of staying alive (1270).^[8] In Old French it also meant income and moral support, and in practical matters it was a synonym of soutènement for keeping a building in repair (1294) and for propping it up (1456), uses that lasted until the middle of the 17th century.^[8] Bloch and Wartburg note that the sense “support” was common in the Middle Ages and up to the 16th century.^[5] Marot still used it of God as the support of the good.^[7]

After the much older sense of the verb soutenir, “to defend (a thesis)”, the noun came to mean the defence of a thesis or doctorate; the Académie records soutenance de thèse in 1835.^[4][8] This is the only sense alive in the French of France;^[8] Belgium says défense de thèse.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1155 – Wace uses soustenance for subsistence.^[2][8]
• c. 1165 – Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses it in the Roman de Troie.^[4]
• c. 1265 – The spelling soutenance appears in Jean de Meun.^[2][3]
• 1294 – It is used for the upkeep of a building.^[8]
• 1456 – It is used for propping up a building.^[8]
• 1660 – Soutenant “one who defends a thesis” is recorded.^[5]
• 1835 – The Académie records soutenance de thèse.^[4][8]
• 1856 – Bloch and Wartburg's date for the sense “defence of a thesis”.^[5][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. The defence of a thesis or dissertation before an examining board, in order to obtain a degree: la soutenance de sa thèse aura lieu en juin.^[4][6][9]
2. The session during which this defence takes place.^[4]
3. (obsolete) Subsistence, support.^[4][8]
4. (nautical, dated) A notched plank used for beating and cleaning hemp.^[7]

Related words

• soutenir
• soutenant
• soutènement
• soutien
• souteneur
• Latin sustineō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
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 i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)