courage French · revision 16631

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la cor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ku.ʁaʒ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''courage''' ''m'' (plural courages)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''curage'' (1050), ''corage'', ''couraige''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873) Palsgrave notes the pronunciation ''couraige'' in the 16th century.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|corage]], formed [[af|fro|cuer|-age]], from [[m|fro|cur]] or [[m|fro|cor]], old forms of [[cœur]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|2, 1174a) Wiktionary and Littré trace it to [[la-vul|*corāticum]], from [[la|cor|t=heart]], Littré points out that the ⟨tg⟩ of Provençal and the double ⟨g⟩ of Italian presuppose this form.^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|coraggio]], [[oc|coratge]], [[ca|coratge]], [[es|coraje]] and [[pt|coragem]].^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (1050) it is the heart as the seat of feelings; in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it means state of mind, intention, and hence desire or eagerness: ''sis curages pesmes'' “his heart is fierce”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French it was the heart, temper and spirit, and the AND records “heart, disposition, mind, intention, desire” as well as “courage, mettle”.^(Littré 1873)^(AND) Jean Bodel (about 1196) uses it for firmness in the face of danger.^(GLLF 1989) The sense “feelings, heart” lived on in classical French (Corneille, Racine: ''fléchissez son courage''), but from the 17th century the distinction from ''cœur'' became clearer, and ''courage'' kept the senses of bravery and of energy in an undertaking.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) The exhortation ''bon courage !'' is quoted from Flaubert (1849).^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1050 – ''Curage'' “heart”, ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

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

+ * c. 1196 – Firmness in the face of danger, Jean Bodel.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 17th century – Its meaning is clearly separated from ''cœur''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1849 – ''Bon courage !'', Flaubert.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|courage]], [[m|en|bravery]]: firmness in the face of danger or suffering: ''se battre avec courage''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Energy, heart for doing something: ''je n'ai pas le courage de me lever'', ''perdre courage''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(old)'' The heart as the seat of feelings; pride.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # ''Courage !, bon courage !'': chin up!, keep going!^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[courageux]]

+ * [[courageusement]]

+ * [[encourager]]

+ * [[encouragement]]

+ * [[décourager]]

+ * [[découragement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cœur]]

+ * [[la|cor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}