supporter

supporter¹ to bear

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sy.pɔʁ.te/^[1]

Forms

supporter^[1] Old French soporter, sorporter (about 1190), remade as supporter after the Latin (1385); Marot still has surporter.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

The verb is borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin supportō (“to bear, tolerate; to help, support”), at first with a French form.^{[2][4][3][1][5]} In classical Latin “supportare” only meant to carry, bring up from below; the senses “to tolerate” and “to support” are Late and Christian Latin.^[2][4][3] It is formed from sub (“under”) and portō (“to carry”) (see porter).^[2][6]

Compare Old Occitan supportar, Spanish soportar, Portuguese suportar and Italian sopportare.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Sorporter (1190) meant “to endure” and also “to carry off, dominate”.^[3][2] In the modern form, Eustache Deschamps (1385) uses it for taking charge of and relieving old people's distress, and l'un l'autre supporter for helping each other.^[7]

Semantic evolution

From the 12th century to the classical period it meant to back someone, take his side, and in particular to pay his expenses (1543); in 1470 a town was supportée, favoured, and the Académie still had this sense in 1718.^[2][7] From 1416 it meant to bear a charge or obligation (supporter les charges de la prevosté, 1431), and, from about 1485 to hold up a weight.^[2][7] The sense “to put up with” someone's behaviour is from the early 14th century, Régnier (1432) says Job le bien et le mal supporta; to bear a person is in d'Urfé (1607).^[2][7] In the 20th century the old idea of support came back as an anglicism: supporter a team.^[2][3]

Timeline

• c. 1190 – Sorporter, to endure.^[3]
• 1385 – Supporter, to relieve, Deschamps.^[7]
• 1416 – To bear a charge.^[2]
• 1432 – To endure good and evil, Régnier.^[7]
• c. 1485 – To hold up a weight.^[7]
• 1607 – To put up with someone, d'Urfé.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To support, hold up, bear the weight of: les piliers supportent la voûte.^[3][1]
2. To bear, endure, put up with: supporter la douleur, je ne le supporte plus, supporter que.^[1][2]
3. To withstand: supporter la chaleur.^[7]
4. To bear (a cost or charge): supporter les frais.^[2][7]
5. (sports, anglicism) To support, cheer on (a team or player).^[2][3]

Word family

• support
• supportable
• insupportable

supporter² fan

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sy.pɔʁ.tɛʁ/^[1]

Forms

supporter m (plural supporters)^[1] Also supporteur, from the verb supporter “to cheer on”; feminine supportrice (in Fallet, 1951).^[3][1]

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from English supporter (“one who supports”), from the English verb support.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1907.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A supporter, fan of a team or a player.^[1][3]
2. A supporter of a person or a cause.^[3]

Related words

• porter

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c 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. 18, 121a
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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