coûter French · revision 16657

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1165, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide (coster)|origins=la stō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ku.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''coûter'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''coster'', Middle French ''couster'', ''couter'' is a spelling variant.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|coster]], [[inh|la|cōnstō|t=to stand firm; to consist of; to cost]], formed with [[m|la|cum]] on [[m|la|stō|t=to stand]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|2, 1080b)^(Wiktionary) The sense “to cost” developed in Latin with an ablative or genitive of price; only that sense passed into French.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The same Latin verb gave [[constat]] and [[consister]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[oc|costar]], [[es|costar]], [[pt|custar]] and [[it|costare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Chrétien de Troyes's ''Érec et Énide'' (about 1165) uses it impersonally and figuratively: ''Et dient que trop chier li coste'' “and they say it costs him too dear”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In ''Yvain'' (1172) it is used literally, “to require expense”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Berte'' (13th century) has ''Sixante sols cousta'', and Joinville reports that the queen said the work had cost a hundred pounds.^(Littré 1873) Amyot (16th century) has ''en couster la vie'' “to cost one's life”, ''prix coûtant'' “cost price” dates from 1679, and ''coûte que coûte'' “at all costs” from 1802.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ At first intransitive, the only use Littré thought correct, it has had transitive uses since the 17th century, as in ''coûter les yeux de la tête'' “to cost an arm and a leg”.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1155 – The noun ''cust'' “cost”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1165 – ''Coster'', figurative, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1172 – “To require expense”, ''Yvain''.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – ''En couster la vie'', Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1679 – ''Prix coûtant''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1802 – ''Coûte que coûte''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|cost]]: ''combien ça coûte ?'', ''coûter cher'', ''coûter cent euros''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be painful, demand an effort: ''cet aveu lui a coûté''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To cost (someone something): ''cela lui a coûté bien des ennuis'', ''coûter la vie''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Coûte que coûte'': at all costs, ''coûter les yeux de la tête'', to cost a fortune.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[coût]]

+ * [[coûteux]]

+ * [[coûtant]]

+ * [[surcoût]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[constat]]

+ * [[consister]]

+ * [[la|cōnstō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}