tenter French · revision 16567

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=first half of the 12th century, Psautier d'Oxford (tempter Deu)|origins=la temptō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /tɑ̃.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tenter'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''tempter'', ''tanter''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|temptō|t=to touch, feel; to try, test; to attack]], also written “tentō”, probably after the popular pronunciation.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)^(FEW|13/1, 182b) The TLFi, the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert note its confusion with [[m|la|tentō|t=to shake, agitate]], a frequentative of [[m|la|tendō|t=to stretch]], Rey says “temptō” itself has no known etymology.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992) The TLFi and Wiktionary present the French verb as coming down from the Latin rather than borrowed from it.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[pro|temptar]], [[es|tentar]] and [[it|tentare]].^(Littré 1873)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Oxford Psalter (first half of the 12th century) has ''tempter Deu'', to ask God for proofs of his power without need.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the ''Voyage de saint Brendan'' (about 1125) it means to incite someone to a forbidden thing, and at the end of the 12th century God ''tente'' a person's fidelity; the Bible's ''Dieu tenta Abraham'' keeps this sense.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) The secular sense “to make someone want something” is in Jean de Meun (about 1275), whence ''être tenté de'' (1623) and ''se laisser tenter''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ “To try, attempt” is found in the mid-13th century, ''tenter la fortune'' is in Amyot (1559), ''tenter fortune'' in 1740, and ''tenter de'' with the infinitive in 1670.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Tenter Dieu'' came to mean to put oneself in danger (1656), as does ''tenter le diable''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The old sense “to probe a wound” (about 1180) was lost in the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * First half of the 12th century – ''Tempter Deu'', Oxford Psalter.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1125 – To tempt to sin, ''Voyage de saint Brendan''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1180 – To probe a wound.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * Mid-13th century – “To try”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1275 – To make someone want, Jean de Meun.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Tenter la fortune'', Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1623 – ''Être tenté de''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1670 – ''Tenter de'' with the infinitive.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|attempt]], try: ''tenter une expérience'', ''tenter de s'enfuir'', ''tenter sa chance''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To [[m|en|tempt]], attract, appeal to: ''ce voyage me tente'', ''être tenté de'', to be inclined to.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # To tempt to sin: ''le démon tenta Ève'', ''tenter le diable''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(literary)'' ''Tenter Dieu'': to court disaster, ''(dated)'' to put to the test.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tentant]]

+ * [[retenter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tentation]]

+ * [[tentative]]

+ * [[tentateur]]

+ * [[la|temptō]]

+ * [[en|tempt]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A separate verb ''tenter'' “to cover with a tent” (1869) is derived from [[tente]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}