content French · revision 16488

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1280, Clef d'amors|origins=la teneō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɔ̃.tɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''content''' (feminine contente, masculine plural contents, feminine plural contentes)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|contentus|t=satisfied, contented]], the past participle of [[m|la|contineō|t=to hold together, contain; to restrain]], from [[m|la|teneō|t=to hold]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|2, 1104a) Literally “who holds himself in”, the Latin word meant “satisfied with”.^(DHLF 1992) Wiktionary treats it as inherited through Old French.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|content]] and [[it|contento]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first recorded in the ''Clef d'amors'' (about 1280).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense, still dominant in classical French, is “wanting nothing more, satisfied with what one has”: Boileau's ''qui vit content de rien possède toute chose''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) That sense survives in ''content de peu'', ''non content de'' and in the noun phrase ''avoir (tout) son content'' “to have one's fill” (late 15th century, Basselin).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) Modern usage stresses the quiet joy of satisfied wishes: ''content de partir''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The antonym [[mécontent]] (1501) replaced the older [[malcontent]] (13th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1280 – ''Clef d'amors''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1314 – The verb ''contenter''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * Late 15th century – ''Avoir tout son content'', Basselin.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+ * 1501 – ''Mécontent''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|pleased]], [[m|en|glad]], happy: ''je suis content de te voir''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Satisfied (with): ''être content de son travail'', ''content de quelqu'un''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary)'' Contented, wanting nothing more: ''content de peu'', ''non content de'', not satisfied with.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Avoir son content'': to have one's fill (also ironic).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[contenter]]

+ * [[contentement]]

+ * [[mécontent]]

+ * [[mécontenter]]

+ * [[mécontentement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[contenir]]

+ * [[malcontent]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Content'' is also the third person plural of [[conter]] (''ils content'').^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}