réserver French · revision 16073

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 12th century, Sermons of Saint Bernard|origins=la servō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʁe.zɛʁ.ve/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''réserver'''^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Reserver'', ''réserver'' in the Académie from 1762.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|reservō|t=to keep back, set aside; to save]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|10, 295a) from the intensive “re-” and [[m|la|servō|t=to watch, keep]], whose compounds gave [[observer]], [[conserver]] and [[préserver]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) From the early Middle Ages “reservare” was a legal term for setting aside in a contract a right to be invoked later.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[pro|reservar]], [[es|reservar]] and [[it|riservare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Sermons of Saint Bernard'' (late 12th century) have it in the sense “to destine, assign (something) to someone”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In 1337 it meant to restrict a right by assigning it to someone or to oneself, whence ''réservé que'' “except that” (1349) and Froissart's count of Foix who ''reserva tant seulement la majesté royale''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) ''Se réserver'' “to keep for oneself” dates from 1553 (Bible of Gérard; 1548, Noël du Fail), ''se réserver à'' “to wait to” from 1558, and ''réserver pour'' “to keep for later” from Boileau (1665).^(TLFi)^(BHVF)^(GLLF 1989) Amyot (1559) has the adjective ''réservé'' “discreet, restrained”, whence ''faire le réservé'' (La Fontaine, 1665).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ The ''cas réservés'' of canon law (1612) were sins only certain priests could absolve.^(TLFi) From 1833 (Balzac) ''réserver'' meant to book in advance, and ''places réservées'' (Sand, 1839); this use became very common in the 20th century with travel and tourism.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The noun ''réserve'' dates from 1342 and ''réservoir'' from 1547.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – “To assign”, in the ''Sermons of Saint Bernard''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1337 – A legal reservation.^(TLFi)

+ * 1342 – ''Réserve''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1547 – ''Réservoir''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1553 – ''Se réserver''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Réservé'' “discreet”, in Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1612 – ''Cas réservés''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1833 – “To book”, in Balzac.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|reserve]], book: ''réserver une table'', ''réserver une chambre''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To set aside, keep (for someone or for later): ''réserver le meilleur pour la fin''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To destine, have in store: ''le sort qui lui était réservé''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To keep exclusively for: ''place réservée aux handicapés''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(law)'' To reserve (a right): ''tous droits réservés''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''Se réserver qqch.'': to keep for oneself, ''se réserver de'': to reserve the right to, ''se réserver pour'': to save oneself for.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[réserve]]

+ * [[réservoir]]

+ * [[réservation]]

+ * [[réservé]]

+ * [[réserviste]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[observer]]

+ * [[conserver]]

+ * [[préserver]]

+ * [[la|reservō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}