chercher French · revision 15875

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʃɛʁ.ʃe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''chercher'''^(Wiktionary)

+ [[fro|cercer]], [[m|fro|cerchier]], ''cercher'' was still in use in 1642.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|cerchier]], [[inh|la-lat|circō|alt=circāre|t=to go round, travel about to examine]] (4th century), which in Medieval Latin also meant “to search, scrutinise”;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|2, 695b) it is formed on [[m|la|circā|t=around]], from [[m|la|circus|t=circle]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) The modern form arose by assimilation of the first consonant to the second (1468) and prevailed only in the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Bloch and Wartburg think the verb's use in hunting helped it pass from “travel through” to “look for”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It displaced the old verb [[quérir]], now alive only in Walloon and Lorraine dialects.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) Cognate with [[pro|cercar]], [[it|cercare|t=to travel through, seek]], [[es|cercar|t=to surround]] and [[ro|cerca]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) [[en|search]] is from Old French [[m|fro|cercher]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''cercer'' “to go all over, search through”: ''cerce les vals, et si cerce les monz''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In medieval texts it chiefly meant “to go through, search (a place)”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873) The sense “to try to find someone or something” is found about 1172 in Chrétien de Troyes,^(TLFi) and “to try to find by thinking” in Estienne (1538–1539).^(TLFi) After verbs of motion it means “to fetch”: ''faire cerchier'' (1210–1220), ''aller chercher'' (1538).^(TLFi) ''Chercher à'' + infinitive “to try to” dates from Montaigne (before 1592), and ''chercher querelle'' “to pick a quarrel” likewise.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Racine's ''se chercher'' “to try to know oneself” is from 1677.^(TLFi)

+

+ In familiar speech ''chercher qqn'' is to provoke someone (''si tu me cherches, tu me trouves !''),^(DHLF 1992) and ''ça va chercher dans les mille francs'' (1945) means “it comes to about a thousand francs”.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Cercer'' “to search through” in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1172 – “To look for” in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1210–1220 – ''Faire cerchier'' “to send for”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1468 – The assimilated form ''chercher''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1538 – ''Aller chercher''; the noun ''chercheur''.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1642 – ''Cercher'' still in use.^(TLFi)

+ * 1945 – ''Aller chercher'' “to come to (a price)”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To look for, [[m|en|seek]] (someone or something): ''chercher ses clés''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To try to find by thinking: ''chercher une solution''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Aller, venir chercher'': to [[m|en|fetch]], go and get, pick up.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Chercher à'' + infinitive: to try to.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To try to obtain (work, fortune); to court (danger): ''tu l'as cherché !''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(familiar)'' To [[m|en|provoke]] (someone).^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''Aller chercher dans'': to come to (an amount).^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To look for each other; to try to find oneself.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[chercheur]]

+ * [[rechercher]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quérir]]

+ * [[cercle]]

+ * [[cirque]]

+ * [[en|search]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}