apprendre French · revision 16395

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 950|origins=la prehendō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.pʁɑ̃dʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''apprendre'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|aprendre]], [[m|fro|aprandre]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|aprendre]], [[inh|la-vul|*apprendō]], a contracted form of classical [[m|la|apprehendō|t=to seize; to grasp with the mind]], from [[m|la|ad-]] and [[m|la|prehendō|t=to take, seize]] (see [[prendre]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|25, 49a)^(Wiktionary) In Late Latin, church writers used “apprehendere” for “to grasp with the mind”, hence “to learn for oneself” and then “to teach others”, both found very early in French, a development parallel to that of [[comprendre]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The learned [[appréhender]] is a doublet.^(Wiktionary)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|apprendere]], [[pro|aprendre]] and [[es|aprender]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 950, meaning “to acquire knowledge”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “to give knowledge to others” is found about 1140, with ''apprendre à quelqu'un à'' (about 1190); ''apprendre'' meaning “to instruct (someone)” has died out but left ''bien appris'' and [[malappris]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Old French also kept the concrete “to seize” (about 1120) and “to set alight” (13th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) With ''à'' (1080) it meant “to get into a habit, become able to”, and the absolute use, ''le désir d'apprendre'', appears about 1175.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ “To be told, to hear of” is recorded at the end of the 12th century.^(Petit Robert 2007) In the 17th century ''apprendre à quelqu'un'' took a threatening sense, as in ''je vais t'apprendre à mentir'' (Retz).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 950 – First record, “to acquire knowledge”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1050 – In the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1080 – ''Apprendre à'' “to get used to”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1140 – “To teach”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1175 – ''Aprentiz'', later [[apprenti]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * Late 12th century – “To be told of”.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * c. 1230 – ''Malappris''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|learn]], acquire knowledge or skill: ''apprendre l'anglais'', ''apprendre à lire''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To learn by experience: ''apprendre à connaître quelqu'un''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To hear of, be [[m|en|informed]] of: ''apprendre une nouvelle''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To [[m|en|teach]]: ''apprendre le piano à un enfant''; to tell, inform: ''je vous apprends que…''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(threatening)'' ''Je vais t'apprendre à…'': I'll teach you to…^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[apprenti]]

+ * [[désapprendre]]

+ * [[malappris]]

+ * [[apprentissage]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prendre]]

+ * [[comprendre]]

+ * [[appréhender]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}