promener French · revision 15809

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1150, pourmener}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁɔm.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''promener'''^(Wiktionary)

+ [[fro|pourmener]], [[m|fro|pormener]] (about 1150); ''pourmener'' was still current beside ''promener'' in the 17th century.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a remaking of Old French [[m|fro|pourmener|t=to lead about]], formed from [[pour]] and [[mener]], after the many verbs beginning with “pro-”.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) Littré derived it instead from a Latin “prominare”, and Wiktionary mentions a less likely [[la-vul|*prōminō|alt=*prōmināre|t=to drive forward]].^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary) The verb “mener” is from [[la-vul|minō|alt=mināre|t=to drive (animals) with shouts]], classical [[la|minor|alt=minārī|t=to threaten]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|6/2, 109a)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ ''Pourmener'' “to lead, make go to various places” is in the ''Roman de Thèbes'' (about 1150);^(TLFi) a Lorraine psalter of 1365 has ''qui moinnes et promoinnes Joseph comme une berbis'' “who leadest Joseph about like a sheep”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The reflexive ''se promener'' “to go for a walk, stroll” appears about 1485,^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) and the intransitive ''promener'' in the same sense in Palsgrave (1530).^(TLFi) La Noue (1587) “promenades” his hatred about, and, from the 17th century one ''promène'' one's eyes or hand over something.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Molière's ''envoyer promener'' (1665) and Madame de Sévigné's ''allez vous promener'' (1676) mean “to send packing”;^(TLFi)^(BHVF) ''va te promener !'' is recorded in 1815.^(BHVF) The derived ''promenade'' dates from 1557 and ''promeneur'' from about 1560.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1150 – ''Pourmener'' in the ''Roman de Thèbes''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1365 – ''Promoinnes'' in a Lorraine psalter.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1485 – ''Se promener'' “to stroll”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1557 – ''Promenade''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1665 – ''Envoyer promener'' in Molière's ''Dom Juan''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1676 – ''Allez vous promener'' in Sévigné.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To take (someone) for a walk or an outing: ''promener son chien'', ''promener un ami dans Paris''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To carry about, often to show off; to send (someone) from place to place for nothing.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To move (something) back and forth over a surface: ''promener ses doigts sur'', ''promener son regard'': to let one's eyes wander.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Envoyer promener'': to send packing.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''Se promener'': to go for a walk, [[m|en|stroll]].^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[promenade]]

+ * [[promeneur]]

+ * [[promenoir]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mener]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}