commencer French · revision 16357

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=10th century, Fragment de Valenciennes (comenciest)|origins=la initium}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''commencer'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''comencier'', ''commencier''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|comencier]], [[inh|la-vul|*cominitiō]], from [[m|la|cum|t=with]] and [[m|la|initiō|t=to initiate; to begin]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|2, 943a)^(Wiktionary) Latin “initiāre”, from [[m|la|initium|t=beginning]], passed in the 4th century from “to initiate” to “to begin”, and was soon strengthened with “cum-”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Of the three classical Latin verbs for “to begin”, “coepisse” disappeared, [[m|la|incipiō]] survives in [[ro|începe]] and “inchoāre” in Occitan.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) Cognate with [[oc|començar]], [[ca|començar]], [[es|comenzar]] and [[it|cominciare]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the 10th-century ''Fragment de Valenciennes'' (''Sermon sur Jonas''): ''quant oi comenciest'' “when you begin today”.^(Littré 1873)^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Commencer à'' with an infinitive is in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100), ''commencer de'' in Montaigne (1580) and ''commencer par'' in 1601.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Vaugelas tried to distinguish ''commencer de'' (for a lasting action) from ''commencer à'' (for a single one), but the distinction faded in the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The verb once took a person or animal as object: ''commencer un élève'' was to give a pupil the first lessons, ''commencer un chien'' to begin training it.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The intransitive use with a thing as subject dates from before 1317 (Joinville).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Commencement'' dates from 1119 and ''recommencer'' from 1080.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 10th century – ''Comenciest'' in the ''Fragment de Valenciennes''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Commencer à'' with an infinitive in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1119 – ''Commencement''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * Before 1317 – Intransitive use in Joinville.^(TLFi)

+ * 1470 – ''Commençant''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1580 – ''Commencer de'' in Montaigne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1601 – ''Commencer par''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|begin]], start: ''commencer un travail''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Commencer à'', ''commencer de'': to begin to do: ''il commence à pleuvoir''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Commencer par'': to begin with, do first.^(TLFi)

+ # To be at the beginning of: ''le mot qui commence la phrase''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To begin, get under way: ''le film commence à huit heures''.^(Larousse)

+ # ''(dated)'' To give a pupil the first lessons.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[commencement]]

+ * [[recommencer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[initier]]

+ * [[début]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}