transformer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /tʁɑ̃s.fɔʁ.me/^[1]

Forms

transformer^[1] Old French tresformer, a more popular form used from the 12th to the 14th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is a learned remaking (about 1300) of Old French tresformer, borrowed from Latin trānsfōrmō (“to change in shape, metamorphose”).^[2][5][3] The Latin verb is formed from trāns (“across, beyond”) and fōrmō (“to shape”), from fōrma (“form”).^[2][5]

The Latin word also gave Occitan transformar, Spanish transformar and Italian trasformare.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean de Meun's translation of Boethius (about 1300) uses it for giving a person or thing a new form, and transformer en for making something take the form or nature of another.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The pronominal se transformer is found early in the 14th century, in the Ovide moralisé.^[5][2] From about 1370 (Oresme) it was used of any thorough change, concrete or abstract, as when sermons cannot transformer et convertir à bien such people.^[2][6]

It took special uses in mathematics, transformer une équation (1755, Encyclopédie), and in rugby, transformer un essai “to convert a try” (1891).^[5][2] Its derivatives include transformable (1555), transformateur (1575; in electricity from 1842, shortened to transfo) and transformisme (1867, Broca), the theory of evolution by successive changes.^[2]

Timeline

• 12th century – Tresformer, in the Dialogues de saint Grégoire.^[3]
• c. 1300 – Transformer, in Jean de Meun.^[5][3]
• early 14th century – Se transformer, in the Ovide moralisé.^[5]
• 1375 – The noun transformation is borrowed.^[2]
• 1755 – Transformer une équation, in the Encyclopédie.^[5]
• 1842 – Transformateur in electricity.^[2]
• 1867 – Transformisme, in Broca.^[2]
• 1891 – Transformer un essai in rugby.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To transform, change the form or character of: transformer une maison, transformer une matière première, to process it.^[7][1]
2. To change (someone) visibly for the better: son séjour à l'étranger l'a transformé.^[7]
3. Transformer en: to turn into: Circé transforma les compagnons d'Ulysse en pourceaux.^[3]
4. (reflexive) Se transformer: to change, be turned (into something).^[5][1]
5. (mathematics) To change (an equation or figure) into an equivalent one.^[5][3]
6. (rugby) Transformer un essai: to convert a try.^[5][2]

Word family

• transformateur
• transformable
• transformée
• transformisme

Related words

• transformation
• former
• forme
• Latin trānsfōrmō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert