président French · revision 16528

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1296, ordinance of the Parlement|origins=la sedeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁe.zi.dɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''président''' ''m'' (plural présidents, feminine présidente)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|praesidēns|t=one who presides; governor]], the present participle of [[m|la|praesideō|t=to preside over, be in command of]], used as a noun.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873) In imperial Latin it was the title of provincial governors, and in Christian Latin it named one who presides over a service or a meeting, or the head of a community.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The verb is formed from [[m|la|prae-|t=before]] and “-sidēre” for [[m|la|sedeō|t=to sit]], “to sit in front”.^(DHLF 1992) The GLLF allows that the French word may also be derived from [[présider]].^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An ordinance of the Parlement of about 1296 has ''li president ordeneront'', of those who preside over its sessions.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word followed the institutions of the Ancien Régime, as the ''présidents à mortier'' of the Parlement.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) After the Revolution it named the head of a court (1803) or chamber (1835) and the chair of a meeting (1907); in business ''président du conseil d'administration'' (1887) and ''président-directeur général'' (1949), shortened to ''PDG''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In politics it named a provincial governor (1553), then the head of a democratic state: of France in 1792, of the United States in 1801 and of the French Republic in Chateaubriand (1848).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Under the Third and Fourth Republics the ''président du Conseil'' (1843) was the head of government.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) The feminine ''présidente'' is found about 1485 for a woman presiding and in 1680 for a president's wife.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1296 – The presidents of the Parlement.^(TLFi)

+ * 1372 – ''Présidence''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1485 – ''Présidente'', a woman presiding.^(TLFi)

+ * 1792 – The head of state of France.^(TLFi)

+ * 1801 – ''Président des États-Unis''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1824 – ''Président du Conseil des ministres''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1949 – ''Président-directeur-général''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1965 – ''Présidentiable''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|president]], [[m|en|chairperson]]: one who presides over an assembly, meeting or organization: ''le président du Sénat'', ''président-directeur général''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(law)'' The presiding [[m|en|judge]] of a court: ''le président du tribunal''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # The [[m|en|head of state]] of a republic: ''le président de la République''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(historical)'' ''Président du Conseil'': the head of government under the Third and Fourth Republics.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[présidente]]

+ * [[présidence]]

+ * [[présidentiel]]

+ * [[présidentiable]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[présider]]

+ * [[vice-président]]

+ * [[la|praesideō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}