excuser French · revision 16421

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1120, Oxford Psalter (escuser)|origins=la causa}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛk.sky.ze/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (colloquial): /ɛs.ky.ze/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''excuser'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|escuser]], ''excuser'' from about 1398 (''Ménagier de Paris'').^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|excūsō|t=to excuse, justify, exonerate]], properly “to put out of the case”, from [[m|la|ex-]] and [[m|la|causa|t=cause, reason; lawsuit]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 286a) The word is thus related to [[cause]], [[chose]] and [[accuser]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Compare [[oc|escusar]], [[es|excusar]] and [[it|scusare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the first half of the 12th century, in the Oxford Psalter, as ''escuser'', meaning “to justify (something) by alleging excuses”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ About 1190 it meant to clear someone of a charge by accepting reasons that justify the fault.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) About 1274 it meant “to shelter from blame or punishment”, and in 1283 (Beaumanoir) a thing could ''excuser'' someone: ''sei aager l'escuseroit'' “his age would excuse him”.^(TLFi) In the 16th century ''s'excuser'' meant “to beg off, decline”, whence Racine's “to accept someone's reasons for not doing something” (1668).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ''Excusez-moi'' became a polite formula, ''s'excuser'' “to apologize” is recorded in 1690 but spread only in the 19th century.^(DHLF 1992) Purists prefer ''je vous prie de m'excuser'' to ''je m'excuse''.^(DHLF 1992) The noun [[excuse]] dates from the 14th century and [[excusable]] from about 1300.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1120 – ''Escuser'' in the Oxford Psalter.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1274 – “To shelter from blame”, in Adenet le Roi.^(TLFi)

+ * 1283 – Of a thing, “to serve as an excuse”, in Beaumanoir.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1300 – ''Excusable''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 14th century – The noun ''excuse''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1668 – “To let off”, in Racine's ''Plaideurs''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – ''S'excuser'' “to apologize”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|excuse]], [[m|en|forgive]]: ''excusez-moi'', ''excusez mon retard''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To try to justify, [[m|en|defend]]: ''il cherche à l'excuser''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(of a thing)'' To serve as an excuse for: ''rien n'excuse sa conduite''.^(Le Robert)

+ # To [[m|en|exempt]] from an obligation: ''se faire excuser''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''S'excuser'': to [[m|en|apologize]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[excusable]]

+ * [[excuse]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cause]]

+ * [[accuser]]

+ * [[inexcusable]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Je m'excuse'' is common but criticized by purists, and is also used ironically before a criticism.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}