peur French · revision 16359

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=2nd half of the 10th century, Vie de saint Léger (pavor)|origins=la paveō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pœʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''peur''' ''f'' (plural peurs)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''pavor'' (10th century), ''poür'' (1080, 1119), ''pëor'' (1176–81), ''peür'' (about 1225), still of two syllables, then ''peur'' (1288–1290).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|poür]], [[inh|la|pavor|t=fear, dread]] (accusative “pavōrem”).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|8, 86b)^(Wiktionary) The Latin noun is from [[m|la|paveō|t=to be struck with fear]], Rey suggests the first sense was “to be struck”, relating it to [[m|la|paviō|t=to beat, ram down]], itself of obscure origin.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|paura]], [[ca|por]], [[es|pavor]] and [[pt|pavor]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the second half of the 10th century the ''Vie de saint Léger'' has ''Et sancz Lethgiers oc s'ent pavor'' “and Saint Leger was afraid of it”, the phrase ''avoir peur''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Peur'' became the general word for the emotion felt at a danger, usually weaker than ''frayeur'' or ''effroi''.^(DHLF 1992) ''Avoir peur de'' with an infinitive dates from about 1155, ''avoir peur que'' from 1176–81, and ''sans peur'' from 1119.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Faire peur'' is from the early 13th century, ''à faire peur'' “frightfully ugly” from Molière (1666).^(TLFi)

+

+ ''Plus de peur que de mal'' is found in 1561, ''prendre peur'' about 1825 and ''une peur bleue'' in 1877.^(BHVF)^(DHLF 1992) In Quebec ''partir en peur'' means to get carried away, and ''conter des peurs'' to tell frightening tales.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 2nd half of the 10th century – ''Avoir pavor'' in the ''Vie de saint Léger''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1119 – ''Senz poür'' in Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1155 – ''Avoir peur de'' with an infinitive in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * Early 13th century – ''Faire peur''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1288 – The form ''peur'' in ''Renart le Nouvel''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1561 – ''Plus de peur que de mal''.^(BHVF)

+ * 1666 – ''À faire peur'' in Molière's ''Misanthrope''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1877 – ''Une peur bleue''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|fear]]: the emotion felt in the face of danger: ''trembler de peur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # A particular fear: ''la peur du ridicule'', ''avoir peur des chiens''.^(Larousse)

+ # ''Avoir peur que'': to fear, be worried that.^(TLFi)^(Larousse)

+ # ''Faire peur'': to frighten, ''à faire peur'': frightfully.^(TLFi)

+ # ''De peur de'', ''de peur que'': for fear of, lest.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[peureux]]

+ * [[apeuré]]

+ * [[épeuré]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[épouvanter]]

+ * [[la|pavor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}