désirer French · revision 16710

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /de.zi.ʁe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''désirer'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|dēsīderō|t=to miss, feel the lack of; to long for]], reduced in sound.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 53a) The Latin verb is formed with the privative [[m|la|dē-]] on [[m|la|sīdus|t=star, constellation]] (whence [[sidéral]]), probably on the model of [[m|la|cōnsīderō]] (see [[considérer]]); Rey reads it literally as “to stop gazing at the star”, hence “to note the absence of”, with a strong sense of regret.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The forward-looking sense “to seek to obtain, wish for”, already usual in Latin, is the one that passed into French.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|desiderare]], [[oc|desirar]], [[ca|desitjar]], [[es|desear]] and [[pt|desejar]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) has it in the sense “to long for”: ''Sire Alexis, tans jurs t'ai desirret'' “Lord Alexis, I have longed for you so many days”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In courtly contexts it was specialized for desiring a woman's favours, a use more marked still in the noun [[désir]] (about 1160).^(DHLF 1992) Two adjectives appear as early as the 11th century: [[désirable]], first active “desiring” before it gave that sense to [[désireux]] and kept the passive “desired” (before 1150).^(DHLF 1992) The GLLF dates its further senses to Adenet (1273), the Vidame de Chartres (late 12th century) and Marguerite de Navarre (before 1549).^(GLLF 1989) ''Indésirable'' (1801) was used as a noun in the 20th century after English ''undesirable'' (1905).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – “To long for”, ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – The adjective ''desirreuse''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * Before 1150 – [[désirable]] “desired”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1160 – The noun [[désir]].^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1801 – ''Indésirable''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|desire]], wish for, want: ''désirer la fortune'', ''que désirez-vous ?'', what would you like?^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Désirer que'' (with the subjunctive): to wish that, ''(classical, literary)'' ''désirer de'' with an infinitive.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To desire (someone) sexually.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Laisser à désirer'': to be unsatisfactory, ''se faire désirer'', to keep people waiting.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[désir]]

+ * [[désirable]]

+ * [[désireux]]

+ * [[indésirable]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[considérer]]

+ * [[sidéral]]

+ * [[desiderata]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}