Etymologically
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soutenir

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sut.niʁ/[1]
  • IPA: /su.tə.niʁ/[1]

Forms

soutenir[1] Old French sostenir (about 880), sustenir, soustenir (12th century); soutenir from the early 13th century; the Académie wrote soustenir (1694), soûtenir (1740), soutenir (1762).[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French sostenir, inherited from Vulgar Latin *sustenīre, an alteration of classical Latin sustineō (“to hold up; to endure”),[3][2][5][6] remade after “*tenire” (see tenir);[5] the Latin verb is formed from “sub-” “under” and Latin teneō (“to hold”).[2][4]

Italian sostenere and Spanish sostener continue the classical form, Old Occitan sostenir and Catalan sostenir the popular one.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Sequence of Saint Eulalia (about 880) has Melz sostendreiet les empedementz qu'elle perdesse sa virginitet, she would rather endure torments than lose her virginity: the sense “to bear, endure”.[3][7]

Semantic evolution

The Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) uses it of food that sustains the body, and the Chanson de Roland (1080) of upholding Christendom;[3][2] the Voyage de Charlemagne (about 1140) has the concrete “to hold up” (cele estache que le palais sustent).[3] By the 13th century it meant “to take someone's side”, “to keep (a thing) going” and “to argue for” (Jean de Meun), with soutenir que (1349) and soutenir son opinion (Oresme, 1370).[3][2]

From the 16th century it meant to withstand an attack (soutenir un siège, Alain Chartier, 1422, soutenir le choc, 1587).[3][2] Classical phrases include soutenir son rang (1665), soutenir la conversation (Molière, 1663) and soutenir une thèse (Gui Patin, 1649), whence soutenance (1856).[2][3][5] Vaugelas (1647) speaks of langage soutenu.[3] The Anglo-Norman sustenir corresponds to English sustain.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 880 – Sostendreiet in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia.[3]
  • c. 1050 – “To sustain (with food)”, in Saint Alexis.[3]
  • c. 1140 – “To hold up”.[3]
  • c. 1180 – Souteneur “protector”.[5]
  • 1349 – Soutenir que in Guillaume de Machaut.[3]
  • 1422 – Soutenir le siège in Alain Chartier.[3]
  • 1647 – Langage soutenu in Vaugelas.[3]
  • 1649 – Soutenir une thèse.[3]
  • 1856 – Soutenance.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To support, hold up: des piliers soutiennent la voûte, soutenir un blessé.[9][1]
  2. To sustain, give strength to: prenez du café, ça vous soutiendra.[9][10]
  3. To support, back (a person, a cause): soutenir un candidat; to help financially.[9][1]
  4. To maintain, argue: soutenir que, soutenir une opinion, soutenir une thèse: to defend a thesis.[1][9]
  5. To withstand: soutenir un siège, soutenir le regard de qqn, soutenir la comparaison.[3][4]
  6. To keep up: soutenir la conversation, soutenir l'effort.[1][3]

Word family

  • souteneur
  • soutien
  • soutenable
  • soutenance
  • soutènement
  • soutien-gorge

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 476b
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)