petit French · revision 16256

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=c. 980, Passion de Clermont}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pə.ti/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /p.ti/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /pə.ti.t‿/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /p.ti.t‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''petit''' (feminine petite, masculine plural petits, feminine plural petites, comparative moindre, superlative le moindre)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|petit]], probably from a Late Latin type [[m|la-vul|*pettittus]], reconstructed from popular [[m|la-med|pititus]], found in a text of 775 (“in pitito villare” “in a small hamlet”), and Late Latin [[m|la-lat|pitinnus]], “pitullus”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|8, 342b) These words are built on an expressive stem “pitt-” of children's language expressing smallness.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) Diez instead started from a stem “pit” “something pointed, narrow”.^(Littré 1873) Etymonline mentions a Celtic root “pett-” “piece”, also found in [[it|pezza]] and [[en|piece]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ The word is Gallo-Romance only ([[pro|petit]], [[ca|petit]]); the other Romance languages express the idea with adjectives of similar formation, such as [[it|piccolo]] and [[es|pequeño]], which replaced Latin [[m|la|parvus]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Passion de Clermont'' (about 980) it means “not fully grown, young”, as in ''li gran e li petit'' “everyone, great and small”, and also “short in time” (''anz petiz dis'' “before a few days”).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 10th century ''petit'' was applied to a living being smaller than average and, as size marks a stage of growth, to a young one; these two notions organize its main uses.^(DHLF 1992) About 1100 it described size below the average (of ears, of a person) and small numbers (of troops).^(TLFi) It also marked social inferiority by birth, power or wealth.^(DHLF 1992) Low prices (''petit prix'') are found in 1160–74, and the noun ''un petit'' “a young child” in 1548.^(TLFi) ''Ma petite'' as an endearment is in Mme de Sévigné (1671).^(TLFi)

+

+ Derivatives include ''petitesse'' (about 1130), [[rapetisser]] (1349) and ''petiot'' (1379).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''Petit-fils'' (about 1560), ''petits-enfants'' (about 1555) and ''petite-fille'' (1636) were formed on the model of ''grand-père'', because ''neveu'' could mean both “nephew” and “grandson”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) [[en|petty]] and [[en|petit]] come from the Old French word.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – ''Petit'' “young” in the ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – Of size below the average, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1130 – ''Petitesse''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1349 – ''Rapetisser''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1548 – ''Un petit'' “a young child”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1560 – ''Petit-fils''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1671 – ''Ma petite'' in Mme de Sévigné.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|small]], little: below average size: ''une petite maison''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # Young, little: ''mon petit frère''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Short (in time or distance): ''un petit moment''.^(TLFi)

+ # Small, slight (in amount or importance): ''un petit prix'', ''une petite faute''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Humble, of low rank: ''les petites gens''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # [[m|en|petty]], mean: ''un esprit petit''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # Expresses affection: ''mon petit chat''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A child, ''mon petit'', ''ma petite'': term of affection.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The young of an animal: ''la chatte et ses petits''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''Petit à petit'': little by little.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[petiot]]

+ * [[petitesse]]

+ * [[rapetisser]]

+ * [[petit-fils]]

+ * [[petite-fille]]

+ * [[petits-enfants]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[peu]]

+ * [[en|petty]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}