demander French · revision 16284

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la mandō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /də.mɑ̃.de/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''demander'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|demander]], [[inh|la|dēmandō|t=to entrust, charge with; to order]], formed with [[m|la|dē-]] from [[m|la|mandō|t=to give in charge, entrust]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 36a) In Late Latin it also meant “to summon” and probably “to ask”, the sense it has in most Romance languages.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(REW 1935) In the sense “to ask in order to know” it ousted [[la|interrogō]], which survives only in [[ro|întreba]] and Old French [[m|fro|enterver]] (whence the slang [[entraver]]), and in the sense “to ask in order to get” it replaced [[m|la|petō]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|domandare]], [[pro|demandar]], [[ca|demanar]], [[es|demandar]] and [[pt|demandar]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century), both in the sense “to express the wish to have” and in the sense “to inquire, ask (a question)”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Used absolutely, it meant “to solicit” by 1172–1174.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Old French also took from Latin the sense “to order, require” (late 12th century), and with an abstract subject “to call for, make necessary” (late 13th century), as in ''la situation demande…''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The reflexive ''se demander si'' “to wonder whether” appears about 1500, ''ne demander que'' “to want nothing more than” in 1547, and the familiar ''je vous le demande'', expressing surprise, in 1812.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ The noun [[demande]] (1170) took its economic sense, as opposed to ''offre'', in 1778, in a translation of Adam Smith's ''Wealth of Nations'', after [[en|demand]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Demander'' in the ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1170 – The noun ''demande''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1172–1174 – Absolute use, “to solicit”, in Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 12th century – “To order, require”, in Jean Bodel.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 13th century – “To make necessary”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1500 – ''Se demander''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ * 1547 – ''Ne demander que'' in Noël du Fail.^(TLFi)

+ * 1778 – ''Demande'' as the economic opposite of ''offre''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To ask for, [[m|en|request]]: ''demander la parole'', ''demander une faveur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To ask (a question), inquire: ''Je lui ai demandé l'heure.''^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To ask for someone, want to see them: ''On vous demande au téléphone.''^(GLLF 1989)^(Larousse)

+ # To require, [[m|en|need]]: ''Ce travail demande du temps.''^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # To ask (a price): ''Combien demandez-vous ?''^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Se demander'': to [[m|en|wonder]].^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Ne demander qu'à'', ''ne pas demander mieux'': to be quite willing to.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[demande]]

+ * [[demandeur]]

+ * [[redemander]]

+ * [[codemandeur]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[commander]]

+ * [[mander]]

+ * [[poser]]

+ * [[la|dēmandō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}