sérénade French · revision 15746

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1550, Louise Labé|origins=la serēnus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /se.ʁe.nad/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sérénade''' ''f'' (plural sérénades)^(Wiktionary)

+ Written ''serenade'' by the Académie in 1694 and 1718, ''sérénade'' from 1740.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|it|serenata]], recorded in the sense “evening concert” from the second half of the 15th century,^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|11, 510a) earlier “clear weather, calm night” (14th century), derived from [[m|it|sereno|t=clear, serene]], from [[la|serēnus|t=clear, calm]], the source of [[serein]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) The shift to “evening music” was helped by [[m|it|sera|t=evening]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Littré took it from [[es|serenada]] and notes that Old Occitan said “serena” for a serenade.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Louise Labé's ''Débat de Folie et d'Amour'' (about 1555) uses it for a concert given in the evening under someone's windows.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As in Italian, a ''sérénade'' was music played at night under the windows of a person one wished to honour or court, above all a woman.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) In music (1703–1705) it became a piece meant to be played out of doors at night, and then a free composition in several movements, as by Mozart or Brahms.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ By antiphrasis it meant a nocturnal racket (1646, Boisrobert), and also from 1898 a volley of reproaches: ''avoir droit à une sérénade'' is to get a telling-off.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – Italian ''serenata'' “calm night”.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 15th century – Italian ''serenata'' “evening concert” (Pulci).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1555 – ''Sérénade'' (Louise Labé).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1646 – “Nocturnal racket” (Boisrobert).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1703–1705 – A musical genre.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1898 – ''Jouer une sérénade'' “to scold”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|serenade]], music played or sung at night under someone's window.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(music)'' A vocal or instrumental piece; a free composition in several [[m|en|movement|alt=movements]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(familiar)'' A racket; a volley of [[m|en|reproach|alt=reproaches]].^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[serein]]

+ * [[aubade]]

+ * [[en|serenade]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}