ressembler French · revision 16477

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=la similis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʁə.sɑ̃.ble/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ressembler'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|fr|re-|sembler]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary) It was made on the original meaning of [[sembler]], “to be like”, which the simple verb had from [[la-lat|similō|t=to be like]] (from [[m|la|similis|t=like]]) and kept beside “to seem” until the 16th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|11, 624b)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|ressemblar]] and [[it|risembrare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it is transitive: ''Par tels paroles vus resemblez enfant'', “by such words you resemble a child”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The construction with ''à'' is found in Wace in 1155 but spread only from the 15th and 16th centuries; the transitive use was still common in the 17th century and survives in some dialects.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) ''Se ressembler'' “to be alike” is in Du Bellay (1559).^(TLFi) Madame de Sévigné writes of actions that are worthy of their author: ''cela lui ressemble'' (1690), and the Académie records ''cela ne ressemble à rien'' in 1798.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) The proverb ''qui se ressemble s'assemble'' means “birds of a feather flock together”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – Transitive ''resembler'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1155 – ''Resembler a aucun'', Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Se ressembler'', Du Bellay.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – ''Cela lui ressemble'', Madame de Sévigné.^(TLFi)

+ * 1798 – ''Cela ne ressemble à rien'', in the Académie dictionary.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''Ressembler à'': to [[m|en|resemble]], to look like or be like someone or something: ''elle ressemble à sa mère''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Cela lui ressemble'': that is just like him or her, ''cela ne lui ressemble pas'': that is unlike him or her.^(Littré 1873)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''À quoi ça ressemble?'': what does it look like? ''ça ne ressemble à rien'': it is meaningless or shapeless.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Se ressembler'': to be alike: ''se ressembler comme deux gouttes d'eau''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ressemblance]]

+ * [[ressemblant]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sembler]]

+ * [[semblable]]

+ * [[assembler]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}