sûr French · revision 15840

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=la cūra}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Europe): /syʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Canada): /sʏʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sûr''' (feminine sûre or sure, masculine plural sûrs or surs, feminine plural sûres or sures)^(Wiktionary)

+ [[fro|soür]], [[m|fro|seür]], [[m|fro|segur]], ''sur'' (15th century), ''sûr'' (16th century); the Académie wrote ''seur'' in 1694 and 1718.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|seür]], [[inh|la|sēcūrus|t=free from care; safe]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|11, 388a) formed from the archaic particle [[m|la|sē-|t=without]] and [[m|la|cūra|t=care, worry]], the source of [[cure]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873) The circumflex marks the lost syllable.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|segur]], [[es|seguro]], [[pt|seguro]] and [[it|sicuro]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (1100) has ''Soürs est Carles, ne crent hume vivant'' “Charles is safe, he fears no man alive”, the sense “in safety”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old French used it of a person in safety or with a guarantee, as in ''a seür'' “in safety”,^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) and of a safe place (Chrétien de Troyes), whence ''en lieu sûr'' (1549).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From about 1165 it meant “who knows for certain” (''sëurs de la mort''), with ''sûr que'' (about 1170), ''sûr de'' + infinitive (1655) and ''sûr de soi'' (1690).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) At the end of the 12th century it was said of what cannot be doubted, hence ''il est sûr que'' (Pascal, 1657) and ''ce qu'il y a de sûr'' (Sévigné).^(TLFi)

+

+ From the 13th century it also described what can be relied on, a trustworthy person or a sound weapon, and later sure judgment and a sure hand (''main sûre'', 1549, ''goût sûr'', 1685).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''À coup sûr'' dates from 1686 and ''pour sûr'' from 1665;^(TLFi) ''bien sûr'' (1782) is very common, and ''sûr !'' as a familiar adverb is found from 1783.^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1100 – ''Soürs'' “safe” in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1165 – “Certain (of)” in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1176–1181 – A safe place, in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 15th century – ''Sûreté'' in Commynes.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1665 – ''Pour sûr'' in La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1686 – ''À coup sûr'' in Bayle.^(TLFi)

+ * 1740 – The Académie spells it ''sûr''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1782 – ''Bien sûr''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|sure|alt=Sure]], certain: ''être sûr de qqch.'', ''j'en suis sûr'', ''sûr de soi'': self-confident.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Certain, beyond doubt: ''c'est sûr'', ''une chose sûre''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|reliable|alt=Reliable]], trustworthy: ''un ami sûr'', ''une valeur sûre''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # [[m|en|safe|alt=Safe]]: ''un endroit sûr'', ''en lieu sûr''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # Steady, unerring: ''une main sûre'', ''un goût sûr''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''Bien sûr'', ''(familiar)'' ''pour sûr'', ''sûr'': of course, certainly.^(Larousse)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sûrement]]

+ * [[sûreté]]

+ * [[assurer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sécurité]]

+ * [[cure]]

+ * [[la|sēcūrus]]

+ * [[en|sure]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}