désigner French · revision 15831

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1377, Oresme|origins=la signum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /de.zi.ɲe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''désigner'''^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Desiner'', ''desinner'' (13th–14th century), rare before the 16th century, Littré notes that ⟨s⟩ was still unvoiced in 1703.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|dēsignō|t=to mark out; to point out; to appoint]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 53b) formed with [[m|la|dē-]] on [[m|la|signō|t=to mark with a sign]], from [[m|la|signum|t=sign]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) The Latin verb also meant “to represent, draw”, the source of the doublet [[dessiner]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A text of about 1265 has ''les jours desinez de l'Eglise'', the days appointed by the Church;^(BHVF)^(Petit Robert 2007) Oresme (1377) has ''chose designee par nombre'', “determined by a distinctive mark”.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Lemaire de Belges (1511) and Rabelais (1534, 1539) use it for “to represent, symbolise”, as when Rabelais tells what each colour ''designe''.^(BHVF)^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) In the 16th century it was also used for “to plan, draw out” (Amyot, Palissy, d'Aubigné), senses that went to ''dessiner''.^(Littré 1873) The sense “to appoint (someone) to an office” is recorded by Furetière in 1690,^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) and ''désigner qqn à la haine publique'' “to hold someone up to” appears in La Bruyère.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ In linguistics ''désignation'' is the relation between a sign and the thing it refers to.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1265 – ''Jours desinez''.^(BHVF)

+ * 1355 – ''Desinacion''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1377 – ''Designee par nombre'' in Oresme.^(TLFi)

+ * 1539 – “To symbolise” in Rabelais.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – “To appoint”, in Furetière.^(TLFi)

+ * Before 1696 – “To single out” in La Bruyère.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To point out, indicate: ''désigner du doigt''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # To [[m|en|designate]], denote; to name or refer to: ''ce mot désigne une plante''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To appoint, choose (someone for a task or office): ''désigner un successeur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''Désigner qqn à'': to single out (for attention, blame): ''désigner qqn à la vindicte publique''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[désignation]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dessiner]]

+ * [[signe]]

+ * [[signer]]

+ * [[la|dēsignō]]

+ * [[en|designate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}