traiter

Pronunciation

• IPA: /tʁɛ.te/^[1]
• IPA: /tʁe.te/^[1]

Forms

traiter^[1] Old French traitier, tretier, Middle French traicter.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French traitier, inherited from Latin tractō (“to drag; to handle; to manage; to deal with, discuss”), the frequentative of trahō (“to draw, pull”) (see traire), formed on its supine “tractum”.^{[2][3][4][5][6][1]} In Old French it sometimes still meant “to pull, touch”, and also “to lead, govern”.^[4][5]

Compare Old Occitan tractar, Spanish tratar and Italian trattare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) it means to carry on negotiations for an agreement; the Roman d'Eneas (about 1130) has traitier sa vie “to conduct oneself”.^[2][5][8]

Semantic evolution

Benoît de Sainte-Maure (about 1165) uses traitier de for dealing with a subject in speech or writing, traiter une question is from 1203, and in 1656 a book traite of something.^[2][3] About 1174–76 it meant to behave towards someone in a certain way, traiter qqn de “to call someone (something)” is in Pascal (1660) and Molière (1671), and could be complimentary in classical French, whereas now it is only insulting, traiter comme un chien is in the Académie (1718).^[2][3][8] Robert Estienne (1538–39) has it for entertaining guests at table and for treating an ulcer; treating a patient is from 1636.^[2][3] In 1213 it meant to handle, touch, until 1638.^[2][3]

“To negotiate an agreement” led to trade (after 1650) and in the 18th century to traiter des nègres (1723), linked with traite; in African French traiter still means to buy crops from growers for resale.^[3] Chemistry uses it for processing a substance (1765).^[2]

Timeline

• first half of the 12th century – To negotiate, Cambridge Psalter.^[2]
• c. 1165 – To treat a subject, Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^[2]
• 1174–76 – To treat someone in a certain way.^[2]
• 1213 – To handle, Faits des Romains.^[2]
• 1539 – To treat an ulcer, Robert Estienne.^[2]
• 1671 – Traiter qqn de, Molière.^[2]
• 1765 – To process a substance.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To treat (someone) in a certain way: bien traiter ses employés, traiter qqn en ami, traiter comme un chien.^[1][8]
2. Traiter qqn de: to call someone (an insulting name): il m'a traité de menteur.^[1][3]
3. To treat medically: traiter un malade, traiter une maladie.^[1][3]
4. To process, treat (a substance or material): traiter un minerai, fruits non traités, (computing) to process data.^[1][2]
5. To deal with, discuss (a subject): traiter une question, ce livre traite de l'histoire.^[1][3]
6. To negotiate, deal: traiter avec l'ennemi, traiter une affaire.^[3][2]
7. (dated) To entertain at table.^[3][2]

Word family

• traitement
• traité
• traitant
• traiteur
• maltraiter
• sous-traiter
• intraitable

Related words

• traire
• trait
• traite
• tracter
• Latin tractō

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 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/2, 140b
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse