midi French · revision 16848

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=la medius, la dies}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mi.di/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''midi''' ''m'' (plural midis)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound of Old French [[m|fro|mi|t=middle]] (see [[mi-]]), from [[la|medius|t=middle]],^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) and Old French [[m|fro|di|t=day]] (842, in the Strasbourg Oaths), from [[m|la|diēs|t=day]] through its accusative.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)^(FEW|3, 72a) That word survives in the names of the days of the week.^(DHLF 1992) Most southern dialects, south of a line from the Gironde estuary to French Switzerland, say ⟨mijour⟩.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Compare [[pro|miegdia]], [[es|mediodía]], [[pt|meio-dia]] and [[it|mezzodì]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) uses it for the middle of the day: ''Contre midi tenebres i a granz'' (“towards noon there is great darkness”).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Very early it took a spatial sense: the south, as one of the cardinal points (Gaimar, about 1140), and a southern exposure (1308).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Classical French used it for the southern countries (La Fontaine, 1687); since 1793 (Madame de Staël) ''le Midi'' has been the South of France, as in ''l'accent du Midi''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Chercher midi à quatorze heures'' “to make things needlessly complicated” (Tabarin, 1622, Madame de Sévigné, 1675) was preceded by ''cercher midy à unze heures'' (1585).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) ''Démon du midi'' (1585) rendered Latin ''daemonium meridianum'', the temptation of midday; it took its modern sense, the amorous temptation of middle age, in 1863.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The slang ''Midi !'' “too late!” and ''il est midi'' “watch out!” date from 1866–1867.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) [[après-midi]] is recorded in 1514 or 1549.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 842 – ''Di'' “day” in the Strasbourg Oaths.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Midi'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1140 – “South”, in Gaimar.^(TLFi)

+ * 1308 – A southern exposure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1514 – ''Après-midi''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1585 – ''Démon du midi'', ''cercher midy à unze heures''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1622 – ''Chercher midi à quatorze heures''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1793 – ''Le Midi'' “the South of France”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1863 – ''Démon de midi'' in its modern sense.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|noon|alt=Noon]], twelve o'clock: ''Il est midi'', ''midi sonné''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The middle of the day, midday: ''le repas de midi'', ''en plein midi''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # The [[m|en|south]]: ''exposé au midi'', facing south.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Le Midi'': the South of France.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Le démon de midi'': the urge for amorous adventure in middle age.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Chercher midi à quatorze heures'': to complicate matters needlessly.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[après-midi]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mi-]]

+ * [[demi]]

+ * [[méridien]]

+ * [[la|dies]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}