songer French · revision 16725

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (sunjat)|origins=la somnium}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɔ̃.ʒe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''songer'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''sunjer'', ''songier'', also ''sonjer''.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|songier]], [[inh|la|somniō|t=to dream; to see in a dream]],^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|12, 85a) from [[m|la|somnium|t=dream]].^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873) In Old French some forms of the verb were close to those of [[m|fro|soignier]] (see [[soigner]]), and [[songe]] to [[m|fro|soigne|t=care]]; the phrases [[m|fro|songier a|t=to think of]] and [[m|fro|soignier a|t=to take care of]] were also close in meaning.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|sognare]], [[pro|somnhar]], [[ca|somiar]], [[es|soñar]] and [[pt|sonhar]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has it in the sense “to see in a dream”: Charlemagne ''Sunjat qu'il eret as greignurs porz de Sizer'' “dreamt that he was at the great passes of Cize”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Chrétien de Troyes's ''Chevalier au lion'' (1176–81) has “to give oneself up to reverie, sit idle”, the sense behind [[songe-creux]].^(TLFi) In the 13th century ''songer a'' came to mean “to think of”, ''songier que'' (1280) “to imagine that”, and Rutebeuf (about 1263) uses it transitively for “to invent”.^(TLFi) Littré thinks the sense “think of” may have grown from “dream” but was helped along by ''songe'' in the sense “care”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Robert Estienne (1538) has ''songer à'' with an infinitive, “to think of doing”; phrases such as ''vous n'y songez pas'' (1668, Molière) and ''songer à mal'' (1659, Molière) belong to the classical age.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) The sense “to dream” has become dated or literary, ''rêver'' having taken its place.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – “To see in a dream”, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1176–81 – “To muse, sit idle”, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 13th century – ''Songer a'' “to think of”, in the prose ''Lancelot''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1280 – ''Songier que'' “to imagine that”, Philippe de Beaumanoir.^(TLFi)

+ * 1530 – ''Songer de'' “to dream of”, Palsgrave.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Songer à'' with an infinitive, Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1668 – ''Vous n'y songez pas'', Molière.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(dated)'' To have a [[m|en|dream]], to dream, ''songer de'', to see in a dream.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To muse, let one's thoughts wander; to [[m|en|daydream]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Songer à'': to think of, consider; to remember; to think about doing.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Songer que'': to bear in mind that, reflect that.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(literary)'' To imagine, dream of (something).^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[songeur]]

+ * [[songerie]]

+ * [[songe-creux]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[songe]]

+ * [[soigner]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}