sûrement French · revision 16541

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (soürement)}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /syʁ.mɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sûrement''' (invariable; 1990 spelling ''surement'')^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''soürement'', ''seürement''; the Académie wrote ''seurement'' in 1694 and 1718, ''sûrement'' from 1740.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|sûr|-ment]], from the feminine of the adjective with the adverbial suffix.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873) Compare [[pro|segurament]], [[es|seguramente]] and [[it|sicuramente]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) ''soürement'' means in safety, confidently: ''Passez les porz trestout soürement''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Wace (1170–83) has it for “assuredly, certainly” in a reply: ''Oïl, seürement''.^(TLFi) “In a certain manner” is found in 1404, the emphatic “yes, of course” in Destouches (1736), and ''sûrement que'' in Laclos (1782).^(TLFi) The proverb ''qui va lentement va sûrement'' keeps the old sense “safely”.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989) In modern French it often has a weakened sense, “probably”.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Soürement'' “safely”, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1170–83 – “Assuredly”, Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1404 – “Certainly”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1736 – As an emphatic yes, Destouches.^(TLFi)

+ * 1782 – ''Sûrement que'', Laclos.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|surely]], certainly: ''il viendra sûrement''; in answers: ''sûrement !'', ''sûrement pas''.^(Larousse)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Probably: ''il est sûrement déjà parti''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(dated or literary)'' Safely, without risk: ''qui va lentement va sûrement''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Surely, unfailingly, effectively: ''l'expérience instruit plus sûrement que le conseil''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sûr]]

+ * [[sûreté]]

+ * [[assurer]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}