approcher French · revision 16474

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (aproeciez)|origins=la prope}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.pʁɔ.ʃe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''approcher'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|aproecier]], [[m|fro|aprochier]] and ''approchier'' (12th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|aprochier]], [[inh|la-lat|appropiō|t=to draw near]], a verb of Church writers formed on [[la|prope|t=near]]; the Latin /pj/ gave ⟨ch⟩, as in [[proche]] and [[prochain]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|25, 53a) The Grand Robert also sees the influence of “proche”.^(Grand Robert 2005) Littré notes that Old French also had “aproismer”, from “approximare”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|apropia]], [[ca|apropar]] and [[pro|apropchar]].^(REW 1935)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''En cest païs nous sont tant aproeciez'' (“they have come so close to us in this land”).^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was first built with ''à'' for “to move towards”, later with ''de'' (14th century) and ''vers'' (16th century); used intransitively in the 12th century it meant “to come near someone”, and transitively about 1180 “to go up to, go to see”.^(DHLF 1992) The time sense, of an event drawing near, dates from about 1130: ''La morz m'aproce'' (“death is drawing near me”), in ''Roncevaux''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) The general transitive sense “to bring nearer” dates from the 15th century.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Approcher de'' “to rival, resemble” and ''approcher de quelqu'un'' “to have access to someone” are recorded in 1538, and Bossuet has ''approcher des sacrements'' for taking communion.^(DHLF 1992) The derived ''approche'' is first a military term (about 1450), and ''lunette d'approche'' “telescope” dates from 1530, English ''approach'' gave it, in the mid-20th century, the criticized sense “way of tackling a subject”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Aproecier'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * c. 1130 – Of time, “to draw near”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1180 – ''Approcher quelqu'un'' “to go up to someone”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1450 – The noun ''approche'', in war.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 15th century – “To bring nearer”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1538 – ''Approcher de'' “to resemble”; the adjective ''approchant''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1691 – ''S'approcher du vent'', at sea.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To bring near, move closer: ''approcher une chaise de la table''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To come near, [[m|en|approach]] (someone): ''ne m'approchez pas !''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To have access to (an important person).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To draw near (in time): ''l'hiver approche''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse)

+ # ''Approcher de'': to be close to (a place, an age, an amount); to come near to, resemble.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''S'approcher (de)'': to come closer (to).^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[approchable]]

+ * [[approche]]

+ * [[rapprocher]]

+ * [[rapprochement]]

+ * [[approchant]]

+ * [[approché]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[proche]]

+ * [[prochain]]

+ * [[la|prope]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}