profiter French · revision 16595

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1120, Cambridge Psalter (prufiter)|origins=la prōficiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁɔ.fi.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''profiter'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''prufiter'' (about 1120), ''pourfiter'', ''profiter'', Middle French ''prouffiter''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|profit|-er]], from the noun [[profit]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) “Profit”, in Old French mostly “pourfit” and remade after Latin, is from [[la|prōfectus|t=progress, advance]], from [[m|la|prōficiō|t=to make progress; to be useful]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Compare [[pro|profechar]] and [[it|profittare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) uses ''prufiter'' intransitively for prospering, succeeding in one's undertakings.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ About 1170 (''Livre des Rois'') it meant to bring advantage to someone, and in 1213 of a thing, to produce a gain; in 1298 to make progress, and Rabelais (1532) uses it of a child growing and thriving: ''Pantagruel... prouffictoyt à veue d'œil''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) Food that ''profite'' is nourishing (La Fontaine, 1668).^(TLFi)

+

+ The construction ''profiter de'' “to take advantage of” appears in the early 14th century (''propheter'', 1307) and became the main use: ''profiter de l'occasion'', ''profiter de la vie'', ''profiter de qqn'', “to exploit someone”, is from 1909.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) The derivative [[profiteur]] dates from the late 19th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1120 – ''Prufiter'' “to prosper”, Cambridge Psalter.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1170 – To benefit (someone), ''Livre des Rois''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1307 – ''Propheter'' “to make one's profit”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1532 – To grow, thrive, Rabelais.^(TLFi)

+ * 1668 – Of nourishing food, La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1909 – ''Profiter de qqn''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''Profiter de'': to take advantage of, make the most of: ''profiter de l'occasion'', ''profiter du soleil'', ''profiter de la vie''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Profiter de qqn'': to take advantage of, exploit someone.^(TLFi)

+ # ''Profiter à'': to [[m|en|benefit]], be profitable to: ''à qui profite le crime ?''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' To thrive, grow, (of clothes) to wear well.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[profitable]]

+ * [[profiteur]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[profit]]

+ * [[la|prōficiō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}