prêt French · revision 16417

+ French has two words spelled ''prêt'': the adjective ''prêt'' “ready”, inherited from Late Latin ''praestus'', and the noun ''prêt'' “loan”, formed on the verb [[prêter]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ {{homograph|1|ready}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050 (prest)|origins=la praestō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁɛ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /pʁɛ.t‿/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /pʁe.t‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prêt''' (feminine prête, masculine plural prêts, feminine plural prêtes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|prest]], feminine ''preste''; the Académie wrote ''prest'' until 1718 and has had ''prêt'' since 1740.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[inh|fro|prest]], [[inh|la-lat|praestus|t=ready, at hand]], found in inscriptions and the Salic Law.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(FEW|9, 317b)^(Wiktionary) “Praestus” was formed on the classical adverb [[m|la|praestō|t=at hand, present]], probably from the common phrase “praesto esse” “to be present, to assist”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The origin of “praestō” is unknown: it has been explained as “*prae-sito”, from the root of [[m|la|stō|t=to stand]], or compared with [[sa|हस्त|tr=hásta|t=hand]].^(DHLF 1992) It is a doublet of [[preste]], borrowed from Italian.^(Wiktionary)

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+ Cognate with [[it|presto]], [[oc|prest]], [[ca|prest]] and [[es|presto]].^(Littré 1873)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from about 1050 as ''prest'', meaning “entirely prepared”; in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080) it is said of a person ready to act.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The modern use was settled by the 11th century.^(DHLF 1992) It was first followed by ''de'' (about 1160), which was ousted by ''à'' (1260), partly because ''prêt de'' sounded like ''près de''.^(DHLF 1992) ''Prêt à tout'' dates from 1673 and ''fin prêt'' from 1934.^(DHLF 1992) Old French also used it for imminence (about 1180), ''prêt de'' “about to”; the Académie condemned this use in 1964 to keep ''prêt à'' “willing to” apart from ''près de'' “on the point of”.^(DHLF 1992) The compound [[prêt-à-porter]] (1951) is a calque of English ''ready-to-wear''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – ''Prest'' “prepared”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1080 – Of a person ready to act, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1260 – ''Prest à''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1673 – ''Prêt à tout''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1951 – ''Prêt-à-porter''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1964 – The Académie condemns ''prêt de'' “about to”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|ready]], prepared: ''le dîner est prêt'', ''fin prêt''.^(Le Robert)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''Prêt à'': ready to, [[m|en|willing]] to: ''prêt à partir'', ''prêt à tout''.^(Le Robert)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prêt-à-porter]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|loan}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=c. 1165, Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Troie (prest)}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁɛ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /pʁɛ.t‿/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /pʁe.t‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prêt''' ''m'' (plural prêts)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The loan is a noun formed from the verb [[prêter]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) “Prêter” is inherited from [[la|praestō|t=to provide, offer]], which in Late Latin took the sense “to lend”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Compare [[en|prest]] “loan; tax”.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found as ''prest'' about 1165 in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's ''Roman de Troie'', meaning the act of lending.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Chrétien de Troyes (1176–1181) it meant the thing or sum lent.^(TLFi) The legal sense of a contract of loan is recorded in 1671, with ''prêt à intérêt'', ''prêt à usage'' and ''prêt de consommation'' date from 1832, ''maison de prêt'' “pawnshop” from 1835 and ''prêt d'honneur'' from 1875.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) From the 14th century it was the soldiers' pay (1360–1370), and in 1872 an advance on wages.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1165 – ''Prest'' “lending”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1176–1181 – A thing lent, in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1360–1370 – Soldiers' pay.^(TLFi)

+ * 1671 – The contract of loan, ''prêt à intérêt''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1835 – ''Maison de prêt''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|lending]]: ''le prêt des livres''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A [[m|en|loan]] of money: ''faire un prêt'', ''rembourser un prêt''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(law)'' A contract of loan: ''prêt à usage'', ''prêt de consommation''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(military)'' The pay of soldiers.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prêter]]

+ * [[prêteur]]

+ * [[apprêter]]

+ * [[preste]]

+ * [[presto]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}