clair French · revision 15977

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /klɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''clair''' (feminine claire, masculine plural clairs, feminine plural claires)^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Clar'' (10th century), [[fro|cler]] (1050), usual in the Middle Ages, ''clair'' from the 14th century, after Latin.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|cler]], [[inh|la|clārus|t=bright; loud; clear, evident; illustrious]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|2, 739b) Rey relates “clarus” to [[la|calō|t=to call]] and [[la|clāmō|t=to cry out]] (see [[clamer]]), so that it must first have described the voice before being extended to sight;^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Wiktionary takes it from an Indo-European root “*kelh₁-” “to call”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|chiaro]], [[pro|clar]], [[ca|clar]], [[es|claro]] and [[pt|claro]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (11th century) has ''vis cler'', a bright face;^(TLFi) the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''soleil cler'', ''jur cler'', ''helme cler'' and ''sanc cler'', and of a sound ''graile cler'', the clear-sounding bugles.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The near-simultaneity of the senses of sound and sight follows from the etymology.^(DHLF 1992) From brightness the adjective came to mean “limpid” (''iaue clere'', mid-13th century) and “sparse” (''li renc cler'', about 1174; compare ''clairsemé'', ''clairière'').^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) At the end of the 12th century it was applied to the mind, “evident, intelligible”, and to a person who understands easily (''style clair'', 1680, ''esprit clair'', 1690).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From 1690 it also meant “pale, light in colour”, as opposed to ''foncé''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ The adverb survives in ''voir clair'', ''parler clair''; the noun in ''clair de lune'' (1611), ''le plus clair de'' (1585), ''tirer au clair'' (1803) and ''en clair'' “uncoded” (1948).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Familiar ''pas clair'' “shady” revives an old psychological sense.^(DHLF 1992) Derivatives include ''clairet'' (English ''claret''), ''clairon'' (13th century) and ''clairière'' (1660).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 11th century – ''Vis cler'' in ''Saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – Bright, loud, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1174 – “Sparse”.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 12th century – “Evident”.^(TLFi)

+ * Mid-13th century – ''Iaue clere''.^(TLFi)

+ * 14th century – The form ''clair''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1585 – ''Le plus clair de''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – ''Clair de lune''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – “Pale (of a colour)”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Bright, light: ''une pièce claire'', ''temps clair'', ''il fait clair''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # [[m|en|clear|alt=Clear]], limpid, transparent: ''eau claire''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Pale, light (of a colour): ''bleu clair'', ''un teint clair''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Clear, plain, intelligible: ''un exposé clair'', ''c'est clair'': obviously.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(BHVF)

+ # Thin, sparse: ''une soupe claire'', ''un bois clair''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # Clear-sounding: ''une voix claire''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''Pas clair'': shady, suspicious.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Clair de lune'': moonlight, ''le plus clair de'': most of, ''tirer au clair'': to clear up, ''en clair'': in plain language, uncoded.^(TLFi)^(Larousse)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Clearly: ''voir clair'', ''parler clair''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[clairet]]

+ * [[clairière]]

+ * [[clairon]]

+ * [[clair-obscur]]

+ * [[clairsemé]]

+ * [[clairvoyant]]

+ * [[clarté]]

+ * [[éclairer]]

+ * [[éclair]]

+ * [[clairement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[clamer]]

+ * [[clarifier]]

+ * [[la|clārus]]

+ * [[en|claret]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}