absence French · revision 16864

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=early 13th century, Les Sept Sages|origins=la sum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ap.sɑ̃s/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''absence''' ''f'' (plural absences)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older ''apsence'' (1308), ''aucence'' (1318).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|absentia|t=absence]], used by Cicero for a person's not being present.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) The Latin noun comes from [[m|la|absēns|t=absent]], present participle of [[m|la|absum|t=to be away]], from [[m|la|ab|t=away from]] and [[m|la|sum|t=to be]].^(Wiktionary) The Romance cognates include [[pro|absensa]], [[it|assenza]] and [[es|ausencia]].^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ ''Les Sept Sages'' (early 13th century) have it for a person's not being present: ''quelque chose que la dame feist en l'absence de son seigneur'' “whatever the lady did in her lord's absence”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In 1307 it was a legal term for failure to appear in court, a use found in Carolingian Latin; in 1322 it meant the lack of a thing, after Quintilian.^(TLFi) ''En l'absence de'' (1393, ''en absence de'', 1378) first meant “for want of”, then “while (someone) is away”.^(DHLF 1992) In classical and literary French it is the separation from a loved one, ''le moins clément de tous les maux'' for Verlaine.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ''Une absence'', a momentary lapse of attention or consciousness (1680), probably comes from ''absence d'esprit'' (1671); in psychopathology it is a brief loss of consciousness (20th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) ''Briller par son absence'' is said ironically of a conspicuous absence.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * early 13th century – A person's not being present, in ''Les Sept Sages''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1307 – Failure to appear in court.^(TLFi)

+ * 1322 – The lack of a thing.^(TLFi)

+ * 1378 – ''En absence de''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1671 – ''Absence d'esprit''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1680 – A lapse of attention.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|absence|alt=Absence]], the fact of not being where one could or should be: ''briller par son absence''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Separation from a loved one; the time someone is away.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(law)'' The legal status of a person who has disappeared and not been heard of for a set time.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # [[m|en|lack|alt=Lack]], want, ''en l'absence de'', in the absence of.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # A momentary lapse of attention or memory, ''(medicine)'' a brief loss of consciousness.^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[absent]]

+ * [[absenter]]

+ * [[absentéisme]]

+ * [[la|absentia]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}