ennuyer French · revision 16753

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɑ̃.nɥi.je/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ennuyer'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''enuier'', ''anuier'', ''enoier'', ''ennuyer'' from the 13th century.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) The ⟨uy⟩ spreads from the stressed forms (''il ennuie''), as in [[appuyer]].^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|enoier]], [[inh|la-lat|inodiō|alt=inodiāre|t=to be hateful]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|4, 701b)^(Wiktionary) formed on the classical phrase [[m|la|in odiō esse|t=to be an object of hatred]], in which the second word is the ablative of [[m|la|odium|t=hatred]] (see [[odieux]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|annoiare]] and [[pro|enojar]], whence [[es|enojar]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has the past participle in the sense “worn out with fatigue”: ''Nos cheval sont et las et ennuiez'' “our horses are weary and spent”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As in Latin, the verb had the strong sense “to torment, be unbearable”, first impersonally (''Couronnement de Louis'', about 1135); that sense dominated until the classical period, with ''s'ennuyer'' “to worry” after 1530.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Malherbe could still write ''extrêmement ennuyés de la perte'' of the grief caused by a friend's death.^(GLLF 1989) The weakened modern sense “to be tiresome” appears in the 12th century but prevailed only after the 17th, with ''il m'ennuie de'' (15th century).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''S'ennuyer'' meant “to feel disgust for” (Benoît de Sainte-Maure, about 1175), then, weakened, “to grow weary” and “to be bored”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The noun [[ennui]] (about 1120) followed a parallel course, from “deep sorrow, torment”, still its sense in Racine, to boredom and vague melancholy (1658).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 1120 – The noun [[ennui]].^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1135 – Impersonal “to torment”, ''Couronnement de Louis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1175 – ''S'ennuyer'' “to feel disgust”, Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 15th century – ''Il m'ennuie de''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * After 1530 – ''S'ennuyer'' “to worry”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1400 – [[désennuyer]], Guillaume de Machaut.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To worry, trouble, put out: ''ça m'ennuie'', ''cela vous ennuierait-il d'attendre ?'', would you mind waiting?^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|annoy]], bother, pester.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|bore]]: ''ce film m'ennuie''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''S'ennuyer'': to be bored, ''s'ennuyer de quelqu'un'', to [[m|en|miss]] someone.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(classical)'' To torment, grieve.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ennui]]

+ * [[ennuyeux]]

+ * [[ennuyant]]

+ * [[désennuyer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[odieux]]

+ * [[en|annoy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}