hauteur French · revision 16872

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1155, Wace, Roman de Brut|origins=la altus, frk *hōh}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /o.tœʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''hauteur''' ''f'' (plural hauteurs)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|haltur]] (1155), [[m|fro|hautor]] (about 1170); ''hauteur'' from the 14th century.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|haut|-eur]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873) [[haut]] continues [[la|altus|t=high]], which took its aspirated ⟨h⟩ in Merovingian times from the Frankish adjective of the same meaning, [[frk|*hōh]]; compare [[de|hoch]] and [[en|high]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Compare [[pro|alzor]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Wace's ''Roman de Brut'' (1155) has it for the vertical dimension of a body, ''une tur mult grant de laise e de haltur'' “a tower very great in breadth and height”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ About 1180 the ''Jeu d'Adam'' uses it for a person's high position, and in the 15th century it meant nobility; about 1350 it was pride, arrogance, and Mme de Maintenon (1654) has the plural for marks of disdain.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) Froissart (late 14th century) uses it for loftiness of feeling, dignity.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ In navigation it meant taking the height of the sun (1529) and latitude (1554), whence ''à la hauteur de'' “level with (a town, an island)” (1690).^(TLFi) A high place, ''les hauteurs'', is from 1671;^(TLFi) ''tomber de sa hauteur'' “to be astounded” is in La Fontaine (1678).^(TLFi) Figuratively ''être à la hauteur de'' “to be equal to” is in Stendhal (1817), and ''être à la hauteur'' alone “to be up to it, capable” in Zola (1877).^(TLFi)^(BHVF) Bergson (1889) uses it for the pitch of a sound.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1155 – ''Haltur'' “height”, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1180 – A high position, in the ''Jeu d'Adam''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1350 – “Pride, arrogance”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1529 – ''Prendre la hauteur du soleil''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1554 – “Latitude”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1678 – ''Tomber de sa hauteur'', in La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1817 – ''Être à la hauteur de'', in Stendhal.^(TLFi)

+ * 1877 – ''Être à la hauteur'' “to be capable”, in Zola.^(BHVF)

+ * 1889 – The pitch of a sound, in Bergson.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|height|alt=Height]], the vertical dimension: ''la hauteur d'un mur'', ''deux mètres de hauteur'', ''saut en hauteur'', the high jump.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|altitude|alt=Altitude]]: ''prendre de la hauteur''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(geometry)'' The height of a figure.^(Wiktionary)

+ # A high place, a hill: ''les hauteurs''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''À la hauteur de'': level with, ''(figurative)'' equal to, ''être à la hauteur'', to be up to it.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Loftiness, nobility (of mind or feeling).^(TLFi)

+ # [[m|en|haughtiness|alt=Haughtiness]], arrogance: ''parler avec hauteur''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(music)'' The [[m|en|pitch]] of a sound.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[haut]]

+ * [[hautain]]

+ * [[altitude]]

+ * [[la|altus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}