monsieur French · revision 16322

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1297, as monsor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mə.sjø/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (archaic, humorous, sometimes): /mɔ.sjø/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (archaic, humorous, sometimes): /mɔ̃.sjø/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''monsieur''' ''m'' (plural messieurs)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''monsor'' (1297); popular spellings ''Moussieu'' (1750), ''Mosieu'' (1751), ''Mossieu'' (1794), ''M'sieu'' (1815). The plural ''messieurs'', whose /r/ was pronounced until the 18th century, replaced ''messiours'' (about 1200) and ''monsieurs'' (1549).^(DHLF 1992)

+ Abbreviated ''M.'', plural ''MM.''; the old pronunciation /mɔsjø/ is now only jocular.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|fro|mon|sieur]], from the possessive [[mon]] and [[sieur]], the old object case of [[sire]], whose subject case gave [[messire]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|11, 456a) “Sieur” comes from Latin “seiōrem”, for classical [[la|senior|t=older]], the source also of [[seigneur]], “monsieur” was thus originally the same as “monseigneur”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary) The compound became a single word as “mon” weakened to “me-” and the final /r/ of “sieur” ceased to be pronounced, Wiktionary notes that “monsieur” and “gars” are relics of the loss of final /r/ in early modern French.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in 1297 as ''monsor'', a title of deference given to a man of rather high condition.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ At first equivalent to ''monseigneur'' and ''messire'', ''monsieur'' was a title for nobles and princes and for men of high non-noble condition, then for saints, bishops and figures of antiquity.^(DHLF 1992) From the 15th to the 18th century it named the princes of the royal family, and, from 1670 ''Monsieur'' alone was the king's eldest brother.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) About 1480 it became a polite title for any man, with a name of office (''monsieur le Prévôt'', about 1515) or ironically (''monsieur le sage'', 1552).^(TLFi)

+

+ From 1532 it was what servants called the master of the house, and in 1588 it meant “husband”, ''messieurs'' named the members of the Parlement (1532).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Faire le monsieur'' “to act the important man” dates from the late 16th century, and ''un monsieur'' came to mean simply a man of the middle class.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) English has used ''monsieur'' since the 1510s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1297 – ''Monsor'' as a title of deference.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1480 – A polite title for any man.^(TLFi)

+ * 1532 – “Master of the house”, and ''messieurs'' “members of the Parlement”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1510s – First use in English.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1588 – “Husband”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1592 – ''Faire le monsieur''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1670 – ''Monsieur'', the king's eldest brother.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1866 – ''Monsieur de Paris'' “the executioner”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Monsieur'' (abbreviated ''M.''): Mr, before a man's name or title: ''Monsieur Durand'', ''monsieur le Ministre''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Sir, in address: ''Bonjour, monsieur'', ''Mesdames et messieurs''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|gentleman]], a man: ''un monsieur vous attend''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(history)'' ''Monsieur'': the eldest brother of the King of France.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(dated)'' The master of the house.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Faire le monsieur'': to act the gentleman, put on airs.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[monseigneur]]

+ * [[sieur]]

+ * [[sire]]

+ * [[madame]]

+ * [[mademoiselle]]

+ * [[seigneur]]

+ * [[la|senior]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}