entendre French · revision 16345

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la tendō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɑ̃.tɑ̃dʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''entendre'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|entendre]], [[inh|la|intendō|t=to stretch towards; to direct (the mind) towards]], formed with [[m|la|in-]] from [[m|la|tendō|t=to stretch]] (see [[tendre]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|4, 740b) In Christian Latin it meant “to pay attention to, understand; to want; to listen, hear”, and in Late Latin “to understand”.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[ca|entendre|t=to understand]], [[es|entender|t=to understand]], [[it|intendere|t=to mean]] and [[ro|întinde|t=to stretch]]; compare [[en|intend]].^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1050 in the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' in the sense “to perceive by hearing”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French the sense “to hear” was rare, because [[ouïr]] was the usual verb, ''entendre'' meant above all “to pay attention to” (''entendre à'', 1080) and “to obey” (about 1100).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) From about 1121 it also meant “to intend” (''entendre que'', 15th century, ''entendre'' with an infinitive, 1532), whence ''comme je l'entends'' (1549).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ The sense “to understand”, found in the ''Chanson de Roland'', was dominant until the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) From the 16th century ''entendre'' replaced ''ouïr'' for “to hear”, and in the sense “to understand” it gave way to [[comprendre]], surviving in phrases such as ''donner à entendre'' (1300), ''cela s'entend'' (1546), ''laisser entendre'' (1680) and ''bien entendu''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The reflexive ''s'entendre'' meant “to agree” (1549) and “to get on together” (1636), and ''s'entendre comme larrons en foire'' dates from 1650.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The phrase ''à double entendre'' is recorded in 1688.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – “To hear”, in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1080 – ''Entendre à'' “to pay attention to” and “to understand”, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1121 – “To intend”, in the ''Voyage de saint Brendan''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1300 – ''Donner à entendre''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1549 – ''S'entendre'' “to agree”, in Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – Begins to replace ''ouïr'' “to hear”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1636 – ''S'entendre'' “to get on”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1680 – ''Laisser entendre''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|hear]]: ''entendre un bruit'', ''entendre dire que''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(literary)'' To listen to: ''entendre la messe''; to hear (a witness).^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(formal)'' To mean: ''Qu'entendez-vous par là ?''^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # To [[m|en|intend]], insist: ''J'entends être obéi.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(literary)'' To understand: ''donner à entendre'', ''laisser entendre'', to imply.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''S'entendre'': to agree; to get on well: ''Ils s'entendent bien.''^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''S'y entendre'': to be good at something.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[entendeur]]

+ * [[entendement]]

+ * [[entente]]

+ * [[malentendu]]

+ * [[sous-entendu]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tendre]]

+ * [[ouïr]]

+ * [[comprendre]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}