Etymologically
Log in

supporter

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

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]

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