fier French · revision 15955

+ French has two words ''fier'': the verb ''(se) fier'' “to trust”, from Vulgar Latin ''*fidare'', and the adjective ''fier, fière'' “proud”, from Latin ''ferus'' “wild”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

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+ {{homograph|1|to trust}}

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

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fje/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /fi.e/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fier'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ “To trust” is [[inh|la-vul|*fīdō|alt=*fīdāre]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 498a) an alteration of classical [[la|fīdō|alt=fīdere|t=to trust]], or derived from [[m|la|fīdus|t=faithful]],^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) from the Indo-European root “*bheidh-” “to trust, persuade” of [[foi]].^(DHLF 1992)

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+ Cognate with [[it|fidare]], [[pro|fizar]], [[es|fiar]] and [[pt|fiar]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has the reflexive: ''Et Olivier en qui il tant se fiet'', Oliver, in whom he trusts so much.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Se fier en'' was the first construction, ''se fier à'' dates from 1316, and ''se fier de'' (about 1360) and ''se fier sur'' (1668) have gone.^(DHLF 1992) The transitive ''fier qqch. à qqn'' “to entrust” (12th century; 1220) was already old-fashioned in the 17th century, though Corneille still writes ''à qui voulez-vous désormais que je fie les secrets de mon âme''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005) François I's ''Souvent femme varie, bien fol est qui s'y fie'' is a famous line.^(Littré 1873) Derivatives include ''fiancer'' (from ''fiance'' “pledge”), ''défier'', ''se méfier'' and ''fiable''.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Se fier'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 12th century – ''Fiancier''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1220 – ''Fier'' “to entrust”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1316 – ''Se fier à''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * Late 15th century – ''Se méfier''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''Se fier à'': to [[m|en|trust]], rely on: ''je me fie à vous'', ''ne vous y fiez pas''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' To entrust (something to someone).^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fiancer]]

+ * [[fiançailles]]

+ * [[défier]]

+ * [[méfier]]

+ * [[fiable]]

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+ {{homograph|2|proud}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la ferus}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fjɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''fier''' (feminine fière, masculine plural fiers, feminine plural fières)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ “Proud” is [[inh|fro|fier]], “fer”, [[inh|la|ferus|t=wild, untamed; cruel]],^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|3, 478a) as opposed to “mansuetus” “tame”, “ferus” belongs to an Indo-European root “*ghwer-” “wild”, found also in [[grc|θηρίον|tr=thēríon|t=wild beast]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) In Late Latin it had already taken the sense “bold”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) The final ⟨r⟩ is pronounced under the influence of the feminine and of “fierté”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) [[féroce]] is of the same family.^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ Cognate with [[it|fiero]], [[pro|fer]] and [[es|fiero|t=fierce]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) [[en|fierce]] comes from French (14th century).^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) has it;^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080) it means “fierce, bold” and, with ''de'', “pleased with”.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until the 17th century ''fier'' meant “fierce, wild, cruel”, and of animals “hard to approach” (about 1190), as in ''perdrix fière'';^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Racine's ''fiers ravisseurs'' are cruel.^(Petit Robert 2007) From the 12th century it described a person who thinks himself above others, haughty, a sense now dated except in ''fier comme Artaban'' (Vidocq, 1829) and ''il n'est pas fier''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The everyday sense, “proud of, pleased with” (''fier de son fils''), keeps the idea of satisfaction without that of superiority;^(DHLF 1992) the idea of greatness survives in ''une fière chandelle''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) In the East of France it means “sour”, of unripe fruit (16th century).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''Fierté'' goes back to the ''Chanson de Roland'' (''fiertet'' “boldness”).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – ''Fier'' in ''Saint Alexis''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1080 – “Bold” and ''fier de'', ''fiertet'', in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1190 – Of animals, “shy”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1330 – ''Fier-à-bras''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1692 – ''Faire le fier''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1829 – ''Fier comme Artaban'' in Vidocq.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|proud|alt=Proud]] (of), pleased (with): ''fier de son travail''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Proud, haughty: ''faire le fier'', ''fier comme Artaban''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Having dignity, self-respect: ''trop fier pour accepter''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(familiar, before the noun)'' Remarkable, real: ''un fier imbécile'', ''devoir une fière chandelle à qqn''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(literary)'' Fierce, wild, bold.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fièrement]]

+ * [[fierté]]

+ * [[fiérot]]

+ * [[fier-à-bras]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[féral]]

+ * [[féroce]]

+ * [[foi]]

+ * [[confier]]

+ * [[en|fierce]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}