soin French · revision 17010

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=frk *sunni}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /swɛ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''soin''' ''m'' (plural soins)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''soign'' (1080), ''soing'' (about 1155); ''soin'' from the 13th century.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(TLFi) It is probably [[bor|frk|*sunni|t=care, worry, grief]], through [[la-lat|sonium|t=care]] (5th century), as the Grand Robert, the GLLF and the Petit Robert have it.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) Wartburg (FEW) argues that it cannot be taken straight from a Frankish feminine [[m|frk|*sunnia]], because of the difference in gender, and that the dates rule out a deverbal noun from [[soigner]]; he follows V. Günther in deriving the Late Latin word (5th century) from the Frankish neuter noun.^(TLFi)^(TLFi)^(FEW|17, 272a) Bloch and Wartburg, on the other hand, make it a deverbal noun of the verb, which they derive from [[frk|*sunnjōn|t=to take care of]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Wiktionary takes it to [[frk|*sunnija|t=worry, care]], from [[gem-pro|*sunjō|t=truth, care]], and compares [[got|𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌰|tr=sunja|t=truth]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The TLFi finds the semantic link with Germanic words meaning “truth, excuse” hard to accept, and reports U. Joppich-Hagemann's view (1978) that the noun and the verb come, like [[songer]] and [[songe]], from [[la|somnium|t=dream]] and [[m|la|somniō|t=to dream]], through the sense “to think”.^(TLFi) Littré already called the origin doubtful.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''n'aveir soign de'' “to have no care for”: ''Por ço n'unt soign de helme ne d'osberc'' “so they care nothing for helmet or hauberk”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old and Middle French it was a worry, a concern (''venir à soing'' “to be anxious”, 1460–66).^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) ''Prendre soin de'' “to see to it that” is recorded about 1480, and the attention given to doing something well at the same date.^(TLFi) Robert Estienne (1538) has the charge of looking after something and ''avoir soin de quelqu'un'' “to provide for someone”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ The plural took on the gallant sense of attentions paid to a loved one (1655, Molière), with ''petits soins'' (1662), a place on the ''Carte du Tendre'' in 1654, and ''être aux petits soins pour'' (1842, Balzac).^(TLFi) Madame de Sévigné (1671) uses ''soins'' for the care that keeps or restores health, the sense of modern ''soins médicaux'', ''aux bons soins de'' “care of” on letters dates from 1909.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''N'aveir soign de'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1480 – ''Prendre soing de''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Avoir soin de quelqu'un'', Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1662 – ''Petits soins'', Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1671 – ''Soins'' “medical care”, Madame de Sévigné.^(TLFi)

+ * 1909 – ''Aux bons soins de''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|care]], attention to doing something well: ''travailler avec soin''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Avoir, prendre soin de'': to take care of, look after (someone, something); to take care to.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # The task of looking after something: ''confier à quelqu'un le soin de…''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(plural)'' Medical or personal care: ''soins médicaux'', ''premiers soins'', ''soins de beauté''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(plural)'' Attentions: ''être aux petits soins pour quelqu'un''.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(old)'' Worry, [[m|en|concern]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[soigneux]]

+ * [[soigneusement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[soigner]]

+ * [[besoin]]

+ * [[besogne]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}