transférer

Forms

transférer^[1] Middle French transferer, without the accent.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin trānsferō (“to carry across, transport, transcribe, put off”),^{[3][4][5][1][6]} formed from trāns (“across”) and ferō (“to carry”).^[4][7][2] In the most general sense of the Latin verb, Old French had used translater, favoured by a Medieval Latin verb meaning to write down or translate, formed on the supine of the Latin one.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pierre Bersuire's translation of Livy, about 1355, has it in the sense of moving someone from one place to another with due formalities: Pluseurs y ot qui donnerent leur nons pour estre transferez à Crustumie (“there were several who gave their names to be moved to Crustumerium”).^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The verb remained rare in everyday use, but in the 15th century it gained a legal sense, to pass the ownership of a property or right from one person to another (1462, Villon), later used in commerce for moving funds from one account to another (1904).^[4][3] In 1636 it was used for putting a feast off to another day,^[3] and the sense “to translate into another language” in the same year is an isolated Latinism.^[4] Since 1896, with Ribot, it is used of extending a feeling to another object.^[3][4] Today one also speaks of transferring a prisoner, or a footballer from one club to another.^[8]

English transfer, from the late 14th century, is from Old French transferer or directly from Latin.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 1355 – Bersuire uses it in his translation of Livy.^[3][5]
• late 14th century – English transfer is recorded.^[9]
• 1462 – Villon's Testament uses it for passing on a property or right.^[3]
• 1596 – The derivative transférable is first recorded.^[3]
• 1636 – Monet records the sense “to put off a feast”.^[3]
• 1704 – Transfèrement is recorded.^[4][5]
• 1896 – Ribot uses it of feelings.^[3]
• 1904 – The banking sense is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To move a person or thing from one place to another with the required formalities: transférer un détenu.^[8][3]
2. To move the seat of an authority or organization to another place.^[8][2]
3. (law) To pass the ownership of a property or right to another person, to convey.^[8][3]
4. (finance) To move funds from one account to another.^[10][3]
5. (psychology) To extend a feeling to another object.^[8][3]
6. To forward a message.^[1]

Word family

• transférable
• transfèrement

Related words

• transfert
• translater
• translation
• Latin trānsferō
• English transfer

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c 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. 13/2, 202a
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse