trahir

Pronunciation

• IPA: /tʁa.iʁ/^[1]

Forms

trahir^[1] Old French traïr (1080, Chanson de Roland); trahir from the 15th century, with an ⟨h⟩ written only to separate the vowels.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It continues inherited from Vulgar Latin *trādiō, a remaking of classical Latin trādō (“to hand over, deliver; to betray”) into a verb ending in ⟨-ir⟩, because the Latin verb did not pass easily into French.^[2][3][5] The Latin verb is formed from trāns (“across”) and dō (“to give”).^[2][6] traître is the French adaptation of the related Latin trāditor.^[2] Cognate with Italian tradire, Old Occitan traïr, Catalan trair and Portuguese trair.^[3][7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion of Clermont (late 10th century) has Per que'm trades in to baisol?, “Why do you betray me with your kiss?”, Christ's words to Judas.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The Chanson de Roland has Traït vos ad ki à guarder vos out, “the one who was to guard you has betrayed you”.^[7] In the 12th century it extended to deserting a loved one for another (Énéas, about 1130), to a thing failing someone (about 1175) and to acting against an ideal (late 12th century).^[2][4] In the 16th century it meant breaking a pact (about 1550) and going over to the enemy (1559, Amyot); it took from Latin the sense “to give away a secret” (1580, Montaigne) and, with a thing as subject, “to reveal”.^[2][5] Classical tragedy used it for failing someone's cause (1636) and for ingratitude (1640); trahir la confiance de quelqu'un dates from 1671, and “to be the sign of what was hidden” from 1690.^[2][4] Haute trahison (1677) is a calque of English high treason.^[3]

Timeline

• Late 10th century – Trades in the Passion of Clermont.^[5]
• 1080 – Traïr in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• c. 1130 – Being unfaithful in love, in Énéas.^[4][2]
• 15th century – The spelling with ⟨h⟩.^[2]
• 1559 – “To go over to the enemy”, in Amyot.^[4][2]
• 1580 – “To give away (a secret)”, in Montaigne.^[2]
• 1636 – In Corneille.^[4]
• 1690 – “To be the sign of”, in Furetière.^[4][2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To betray, hand over or abandon someone to whom one owes loyalty: Judas trahit Jésus; to go over to the enemy: trahir sa patrie.^[9][6]
2. To be unfaithful to someone: trahir un ami, trahir sa promesse, trahir la confiance de quelqu'un.^[9][7]
3. (of a thing) To fail someone.^[4][2]
4. To reveal, give away: trahir un secret, (of a thing) to betray, be the sign of.^[9][2]
5. To go against, misrepresent: trahir la vérité, trahir ses sentiments.^[7][4]
6. Se trahir: to give oneself away: le menteur finit par se trahir.^[10]

Word family

• trahison

Related words

• traître
• tradition
• Latin trādō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d 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
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c 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)