important French · revision 16463
18 Oct 2026, 07:16 by bogdan “French fr10k batch: préparer, frapper, dix, voler, film, milieu, papier, découvrir, pareil, important” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1476|origins=la importō}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ɛ̃.pɔʁ.tɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA: /ɛ̃.pɔʁ.tɑ̃.t‿/^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''important''' (feminine importante, masculine plural importants, feminine plural importantes)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[bor|it|importante|t=of importance, especially of strategic or political interest]], found in the 15th century in the superlative “importantissime”, the present participle of [[m|it|importare]], from [[la|importō|t=to bring in; to entail]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) It is related to [[importer]] “to matter”.^(Littré 1873)^(Petit Robert 2007)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1476; in 1528 Jean du Bellay writes to Francis I of ''chose si importante'' “so important a matter”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ Montaigne uses it of matters of consequence.^(Littré 1873) Of people it meant “influential” and, pejoratively, “self-important”: d'Aubigné (before 1630) has ''en faisant de l'important'', and Scarron (1651) ''faire l'importante'' of a servant.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) The sense “large, considerable” of quantities and sizes is recorded by Larousse in 1873.^(GLLF 1989)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 1476 – First record.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)
+ * 1528 – ''Chose si importante'' in a letter of Jean du Bellay.^(TLFi)
+ * before 1630 – ''Faire l'important'' in d'Aubigné.^(TLFi)
+ * 1651 – ''Faire l'importante'' in Scarron.^(TLFi)
+ * 1873 – “Considerable in size or quantity”, in Larousse.^(GLLF 1989)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # [[m|en|important]], of consequence: ''une question importante'', ''un rôle important''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)
+ # Large, considerable: ''une somme importante'', ''un retard important''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)
+ # (of a person) Influential.^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989)
+ # ''(pejorative)'' Self-important: ''faire l'important''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)
+
+ ===Noun===
+ # ''L'important'': the main thing: ''l'important est qu'il guérisse''.^(Larousse)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[importamment]]
+ * [[importance]]
+ * [[importantissime]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[importer]]
+ * [[porter]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}