sembler French · revision 16378

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=ine-pro *sem-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɑ̃.ble/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sembler'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|sembler]], [[inh|la-lat|similō|t=to be like; to seem]], from [[m|la|similis|t=like, similar]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|11, 623b)^(Wiktionary) Latin “similis” goes back to the Indo-European root [[ine-pro|*sem-|t=one; same]], also in [[sa|सम|tr=sama]] and [[got|𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰|tr=sama]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) The “b” arose between “m” and “l”.^(Littré 1873) Its learned doublet is [[simuler]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Outside Gallo-Romance the verb has a regular form only in [[ro|semăna|t=to resemble]] and [[ca|semblar]], Bloch and Wartburg consider [[it|sembrare]] and Spanish “semblar” borrowed.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 1100 the ''Chanson de Roland'' already uses it in the two main ways: with an attribute (“to look, appear”) and impersonally, ''me semblet'' with an infinitive.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The Laws of William the Conqueror have ''Nous ne semble pas raisoun'' “it does not seem right to us”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Latin sense “to resemble” lived on in Old French (''sembler à qqn'', about 1145) but dropped out of good usage in the 17th century; it survives regionally in Provence, Switzerland, Belgium, Normandy and Quebec (''il semble son frère'').^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) [[ressembler]] took over that sense.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ''Sembler'' with an infinitive dates from 1174–76.^(TLFi) The impersonal ''il semble que'' is found from 1188 or 1250, ''ce me semble'' from 1160–74, ''si bon me semble'' from 1549 and ''semble-t-il'' from 1916 (Gide).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Sembler'' and ''me semblet'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1145 – ''Sembler à'' “to resemble”, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1160–1174 – ''Ce me semble''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1188 – ''Il semble que''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1549 – ''Si bon me semble''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 17th century – The sense “to resemble” is condemned.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1916 – ''Semble-t-il'' in Gide.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|seem]], appear, look: ''elle semble fatiguée''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # With an infinitive, to seem to: ''il semble dormir''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Il semble que'', ''il me semble que'': it seems (to me) that.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Comme bon vous semble'', ''si bon lui semble'': as you please, if he wishes.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(regional, dated)'' To [[m|en|resemble]]: ''il semble son père''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[semblable]]

+ * [[semblant]]

+ * [[ressembler]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vraisemblable]]

+ * [[simuler]]

+ * [[la|similis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}