mort French · revision 16326

+ French has two words ''mort'': the noun “death”, from Latin ''mors'', and the adjective and noun “dead”, from the past participle ''mortuus''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

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+ {{homograph|1|death}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=881, Séquence de sainte Eulalie|origins=ine-pro *mer-}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɔʁ/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''mort''' ''f'' (plural morts)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun “death” is [[inh|fro|mort]], [[inh|la|mors|t=death; capital punishment]], accusative “mortem”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|6/3, 141a) Like the verb “morī” (see [[mourir]]), it goes back to the Indo-European root [[ine-pro|*mer-|t=to die]].^(DHLF 1992) In Latin “mors” also named Death personified and, figuratively, ruin or loss (“mors memoriae” “loss of memory”); Christian Latin used it for spiritual death through sin.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ Cognate with [[it|morte]] and [[es|muerte]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the ''Séquence de sainte Eulalie'' (881), which asks that Christ have mercy on us ''post la mort'' “after death”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Phrases appear early: ''aler a la mort'' (late 10th century), ''a mort'' (1080, ''a mort est ferut'' “he is mortally wounded”), ''ne por vie ne por mort'' (1160–1174) and ''u a mort u a vie'' (about 1170), forerunner of ''mort ou vif''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Death personified, with a club or a sling, is found from about 1165, before the familiar scythe.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In law ''mort d'homme'' dates from 1283, and the death penalty is meant in the 14th century, ''condamné à mort'' (1606) replaced ''criminel de mort'' (1559).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

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+ From the end of the 12th century ''mort'' also meant spiritual death, damnation, with the ''seconde mort'' of the Apocalypse (about 1223).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The oath ''par la mort Dieu'' (late 13th century) was disguised as [[morbleu]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Modern phrases include ''il n'y a pas mort d'homme'' (1838) and ''c'est pas la mort'' (1970s).^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 881 – ''La mort'' in the ''Séquence de sainte Eulalie''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – ''A mort'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1165 – Death personified, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1283 – ''Mort d'homme'' in Beaumanoir.^(TLFi)

+ * 1594 – ''Mort-aux-rats''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1606 – ''Condamné à mort'' in Nicot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1612 – ''Morbleu''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1838 – ''Il n'y a pas mort d'homme''.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|death|alt=Death]], the end of life: ''la mort de Socrate'', ''à la vie, à la mort''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''La Mort'': Death personified.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # The [[m|en|death penalty]]: ''condamné à mort''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''À mort'': mortally; to the utmost: ''en vouloir à mort à quelqu'un''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(religion)'' Spiritual death, damnation.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(figurative)'' The end, ruin of something: ''la mort d'une civilisation''.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mort-aux-rats]]

+ * [[morbleu]]

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+ {{homograph|2|dead}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century|origins=la morior}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɔʁ/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''mort''' (feminine morte, masculine plural morts, feminine plural mortes)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective “dead” is [[inh|la-vul|*mortus|t=dead]], the popular form of classical [[la|mortuus|t=dead]], past participle of [[m|la|morior|t=to die]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|6/3, 134a) Littré notes that “mortuus” is irregularly formed, with the suffix of “mutuus”; the regular form would have been “mortus”.^(Littré 1873) The noun “un mort”, “une morte” “dead person” is the adjective used as a noun (1080).^(Grand Robert 2005)

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+ Cognate with [[it|morto]] and [[es|muerto]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found at the end of the 10th century, as the participle and adjective of [[mourir]]; the noun ''un mort'' “a dead man” follows in 1080.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(AND)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Besides people, animals and plants (''bois mort'', ''feuilles mortes''), the adjective was applied to whatever has lost its life or movement: stagnant water (''morte-eau'', 1690), a dead season (''morte-saison'', 15th century).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(AND) ''Mort-né'' dates from 1551 and ''mort-bois'' from 1533.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Card players have said ''faire le mort'', of the hand laid down by a missing player, since 1845.^(BHVF)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – Participle and adjective ''mort''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1080 – The noun ''un mort'' “dead man”.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 15th century – ''Morte-saison''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1551 – ''Mort-né''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1690 – ''Morte-eau''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1845 – ''Faire un mort'' at cards, in Balzac.^(BHVF)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|dead|alt=Dead]]: ''Il est mort depuis longtemps'', ''mort ou vif''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of plants or tissue: dead: ''bois mort'', ''feuilles mortes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Lifeless, inactive: ''une ville morte'', ''la saison morte''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Worn out, done for: ''Je suis mort de fatigue.''^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ ===Noun===

+ # A dead person: ''les morts'', ''le jour des Morts''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(card games)'' The dummy.^(BHVF)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mort-né]]

+ * [[morte-saison]]

+ * [[mort-bois]]

+ * [[morte-eau]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mourir]]

+ * [[mortel]]

+ * [[la|mors]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}