sujet French · revision 15874

+ French ''sujet'' is two borrowings from Latin: the adjective “subject (to)”, with the noun for a ruler's subject, from ''subjectus'', and the noun “topic, subject”, from scholastic Latin ''subjectum''.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)

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+ {{homograph|1|subject to; a ruler's subject}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1120, Oxford Psalter|origins=la iaciō}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sy.ʒɛ/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''sujet''' (feminine sujette, masculine plural sujets, feminine plural sujettes)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[bor|la|subiectus|t=placed under; subjected, subject]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|12, 339b) the past participle of [[m|la|subiciō|t=to place under; to subject]], from [[m|la|sub-]] and [[m|la|iaciō|t=to throw]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The early form [[m|fro|suget]] was remade as “sujet” about 1138, with “subject” as a learned variant until the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) The verb “subicere” itself survived in Old French [[m|fro|sougire|t=to subdue]].^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Oxford Psalter (first half of the 12th century) has ''sugete a Deu'' “subject to God”;^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) Wace (1155) uses it of a man subject to a king.^(TLFi)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun for a person under a sovereign's rule is recorded from 1325 (''touz nos subgiés'').^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) From the 15th century the adjective meant “bound by law to an obligation” (1485), as in ''sujet à caution'' “unreliable, needing confirmation” (1579).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It also meant “prone (to an illness or a failing)” (1485) and, of things, “liable to (some drawback)” (Marot, 1531).^(TLFi) In the 18th century the noun could mean simply “citizen” (1762), but it now implies subjection to a hereditary ruler, except in the administrative sense “national” (''sujet britannique'').^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 12th century – ''Sugete a Deu'' in the Oxford Psalter.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1138 – The form ''sujet''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1325 – The noun “a ruler's subject”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1485 – “Prone to (illness)”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1579 – ''Subject à caution'' in Henri Estienne.^(TLFi)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''Sujet à'': [[m|en|prone|alt=Prone]] or liable to: ''sujet au vertige''.^(Le Robert)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Sujet à caution'': open to doubt, unreliable.^(Le Robert)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(rare)'' Subject to a sovereign authority.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

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+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|subject]] of a sovereign.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # A national of a state: ''sujet britannique''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sujétion]]

+ * [[assujettir]]

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+ {{homograph|2|topic}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1370, Oresme|origins=la iaciō}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sy.ʒɛ/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''sujet''' ''m'' (plural sujets)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun “topic” is [[bor|la-med|subiectum|t=that which is placed under; subject]], a term of scholastic philosophy, the neuter of [[m|la|subiectus]];^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|12, 338b) it was opposed to [[m|la-med|obiectum]], whence in part the philosophical pair “sujet” and [[objet]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The grammatical sense comes from Latin grammar.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Oresme uses ''subjet'' about 1370 as a term of philosophy, the subject of which something is said.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 16th century the word took the wider senses “matter, cause, motive” (''sujet de plainte''),^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) and “what a conversation or writing is about” (1556);^(Petit Robert 2007) the grammatical subject of a verb is also a 16th-century use.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) From “person who is the cause or object of something” it came to mean a person considered for his abilities (''un bon sujet'', ''un brillant sujet''), a person under observation or experiment, and, in a ballet company, a dancer of the rank above the corps de ballet.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ In the arts it names the theme of a work, and a carved or painted figure (''un sujet en porcelaine'').^(Larousse) In examinations the ''sujet'' is the question set (''hors sujet'' “off the point”).^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary) [[ru|сюжет|tr=sjužet|t=plot]] is borrowed from it.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1370 – ''Subjet'' in Oresme.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1556 – “What a conversation is about”.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * 16th century – The grammatical subject, “cause, motive”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|topic|alt=Topic]] or matter of a discussion, a piece of writing or a work of art: ''entrer dans le vif du sujet'', ''au sujet de'': about.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # A cause or reason: ''un sujet de dispute''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An examination question: ''hors sujet''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(grammar, logic, philosophy)'' The [[m|en|subject]] of a verb or proposition; the thinking self, as opposed to the object.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ # A person considered for his abilities, or as the subject of an experiment or observation.^(Larousse)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ # A figurine or decorative figure.^(Larousse)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[objet]]

+ * [[en|subject]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}