imposer French · revision 16921

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1302, Cartulaire de Saint-Bertin|origins=la pono}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛ̃.po.ze/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''imposer'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|emposer]] (1119); the prefix was relatinized as ''im-'' by 1302.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|impōnō|t=to place upon; to impose (a tribute); to deceive]], adapted to the form of [[poser]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) Old French first had [[m|fro|emposer]] “to put upon”, especially “to give (a name)” (1119, Philippe de Thaon), and the prefix was then relatinized.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|8, 64a) The Latin verb is formed from [[m|la|in-|t=in, on]] and [[m|la|pōnō|t=to put, place]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Its first record in this form (1302, a charter of Saint-Bertin) has it in the sense “to impute falsely”, a meaning now lost but still current in the classical period.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From “to impute falsely” came “to make (someone) believe something false” (1536, Calvin) and “to deceive” (1596); in the 17th century ''imposer'' used alone meant “to lie”, the sense behind [[imposteur]].^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) In the 14th century it took the general sense “to compel”: to lay a hard or unwelcome duty on someone, as in ''imposer silence'' (1342), now the usual meaning.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) It meant “to subject to a tax” (1332, ''impouser a qqn''; 1422, ''imposer qqn''), whence [[impôt]], and, from 1690 “to levy a duty on (goods)”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The old sense “to put on” lives in ''imposer un nom'' (1499) and in the liturgical ''imposer les mains'' (1541, Calvin); in printing it means “to lay out pages” (1690).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''En imposer'' “to command respect” is a French development of the 17th century, whence [[imposant]] (1732, Voltaire).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The reflexive ''s'imposer'' “to make oneself accepted” is recorded by Boiste in 1829.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1119 – ''Emposer un num'' “to give a name”, in Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * 1302 – ''Imposer'' “to impute falsely”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1332 – “To subject to a tax”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1342 – ''Imposer silence''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1536 – “To make believe something false”, in Calvin.^(TLFi)

+ * 1541 – ''Imposer les mains'', in Calvin.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – “To levy a duty on goods”, and the printing sense, in Furetière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1732 – ''Imposant'', in Voltaire.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1829 – ''S'imposer'', in Boiste.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|impose]], lay down (a rule, a duty, a constraint) on someone: ''imposer silence'', ''imposer sa volonté''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|tax]] (a person, a product), levy a duty on: ''être imposé sur ses bénéfices''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To make (someone or something) accepted by force or authority.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''En imposer'': to command respect, overawe.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''S'imposer'': to make oneself accepted, win through; to be called for.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(religion)'' ''Imposer les mains'': to lay hands on.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(printing)'' To impose (pages).^(TLFi)

+ # ''(archaic)'' ''Imposer à'': to deceive.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[imposable]]

+ * [[imposant]]

+ * [[impôt]]

+ * [[réimposer]]

+ * [[surimposer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[imposition]]

+ * [[imposteur]]

+ * [[poser]]

+ * [[la|impōnō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}