exister French · revision 15965

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=15th century, Pierre Cochon|origins=la stō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛɡ.zis.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''exister'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|exsistō|alt=ex(s)istere|t=to step out, emerge; to appear]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 298b) formed from [[m|la|ex-|t=out of]] and [[m|la|sistō|t=to be placed, set]], from the Indo-European root “*sta-” “to stand” of [[la|stō|t=to stand]] (see [[ester]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ [[en|exist]] (about 1600) comes from French “exister”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pierre Cochon's ''Chronique'' (15th century, Bloch and Wartburg date the verb to 1425) has ''moy existent en l'ostel de la Pierre'', being present at that house;^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873) the ''Théologie naturelle'' of Raymond Sebond (second half of the 16th century) uses it of the body of Christ ''existant'' in place of the bread.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb seems to have been rare before the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It meant “to be, have reality” and, with a complement, “to be found somewhere” (after 1550), whence the impersonal ''il existe''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) In 1760 Voltaire used it for “to live”, often implying consciousness, and in the strong sense “to matter, count” (''exister pour qqn'').^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Ça n'existe pas'' “that's nonsense” is recorded in 1920.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ The noun ''existence'' (1330) long remained philosophical, ''existentiel'' (Bergson, 1907) and ''existentialisme'' (1925, spread about 1945 with Sartre) followed.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1330 – ''Existence''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1425 – Exister.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1560 – ''Coexistence''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1600 – English ''exist''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1745 – ''Coexister''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1760 – “To live” in Voltaire.^(TLFi)

+ * 1784 – ''Inexistant''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|exist]], have reality: ''le bonheur existe-t-il ?'', ''cette coutume existe encore''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Il existe'': there is, there are: ''il existe plusieurs solutions''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+ # To live, be alive: ''aussi longtemps qu'il a existé''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+ # To matter, count: ''il n'existe pas pour moi''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inexistant]]

+ * [[inexistence]]

+ * [[coexister]]

+ * [[coexistence]]

+ * [[existence]]

+ * [[existant]]

+ * [[existentiel]]

+ * [[existentialisme]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ester]]

+ * [[la|exsistō]]

+ * [[en|exist]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The infinitive is also a philosophical noun, ''l'exister'', the concrete existence of a being (20th century).^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}