sommeil French · revision 16599

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1138, Gaimar (summeil)|origins=la somnus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɔ.mɛj/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sommeil''' ''m'' (plural sommeils)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''summeil'' (about 1138), ''sumeil'', ''someil'' (about 1150); ''sommeil'' about 1160 (Benoît de Sainte-Maure).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|sumeil]], [[inh|la-lat|somniculus|t=light sleep, short sleep]], a diminutive of [[la|somnus|t=sleep]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|12, 88b) “Somnus”, like [[m|la|sopor]], goes back to the Indo-European word for sleep, “*swop-no-”, seen in [[sa|स्वप्न|tr=svápna|t=sleep, dream]] and, with other vowels, in [[grc|ὕπνος|tr=húpnos|t=sleep]] and [[cu|сънъ|tr=sŭnŭ]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary) Latin replaced the old verb of that root with [[m|la|dormiō]] (see [[dormir]]).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[it|sonno]], [[es|sueño]], [[pt|sono]] and [[ro|somn]], which continue “somnus”.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Geffrei Gaimar's ''Estoire des Engleis'' (about 1138–40) has ''sumeil'' for the state of someone sleeping.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Wace (about 1155) uses it for the need to sleep, as in ''avoir sommeil''.^(GLLF 1989) From the 16th century it entered many phrases: ''sommeil éternel'' “death” (Du Bellay, before 1559), ''le sommeil de la mort'' (Sacy, 1672), ''premier sommeil'' (about 1624) and ''sommeil de plomb'' (Académie, 1835).^(GLLF 1989)^(BHVF)^(DHLF 1992) Figuratively it is a state of inactivity: ''en sommeil'' “dormant”.^(Petit Robert 2007) Medicine has ''maladie du sommeil'' “sleeping sickness” (Littré, 1872).^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1138 – ''Summeil'', Gaimar.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * c. 1155 – The need to sleep, Wace.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1160 – ''Sommeil'', Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * before 1559 – ''Sommeil éternel'', Du Bellay.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1835 – ''Sommeil de plomb'', Académie.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1872 – ''Maladie du sommeil'', Littré.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|sleep]]: ''un sommeil profond'', ''sommeil de plomb'', ''trouble du sommeil''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Sleepiness: ''avoir sommeil'', ''tomber de sommeil''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Inactivity: ''en sommeil'', dormant, ''(literary)'' ''le dernier sommeil'', death.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Maladie du sommeil'': [[m|en|sleeping sickness]].^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sommeiller]]

+ * [[ensommeillé]]

+ * [[demi-sommeil]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[somme]]

+ * [[somnoler]]

+ * [[somnifère]]

+ * [[insomnie]]

+ * [[la|somnus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}