pont French · revision 17024

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (punt)|origins=la pōns}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Canada): /põ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pont''' ''m'' (plural ponts)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''punt'' (about 1100); ''pont'' in the ''Couronnement de Louis'' (about 1131).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|pōns|t=bridge; gangway]], accusative “pontem”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|9, 168b) The Latin word belongs to an Indo-European family of words for a path or crossing, with [[sa|पन्था|tr=pánthāḥ|t=path]] and [[grc|πάτος|tr=pátos|t=path]], and perhaps [[m|grc|πόντος|tr=póntos|t=sea]], as a place of passage, Rey notes that the names of the bridge itself vary from one language to another, as in [[ang|brycg]] and [[non|brú]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|punte]], [[it|ponte]], [[oc|pont]], [[ca|pont]], [[es|puente]] and [[pt|ponte]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) ''punt'' is a structure crossing a river: ''Passent dix portes, traversent quatre punz''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Phrases followed the techniques: ''pont de neis'' “bridge of boats” (about 1260), later ''pont de bateaux'' (1677), ''pont dormant'' (1358–1359), ''pont volant'' (1611), ''pont suspendu'' (1765), ''pont tournant'' (1813) and ''pont-canal'' (1889).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Figuratively it was a link between two things by about 1200: ''fame doit estre li pons De toute la joie du monde'' “woman must be the bridge to all the joy in the world”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) Beating someone ''com asne a pont'' (about 1179), as one beats a donkey reluctant to cross, led to the ''pont aux ânes'' (late 15th century), something anyone can do.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ On ships it was first a gangway for landing, in Wace, and only later the deck, as in ''pont d'envol'' (1949).^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Other senses are the flap of men's trousers (1818), ''faire le pont'' “to take the day between a holiday and a weekend” (1867) and ''pont aérien'' “airlift” (1948).^(TLFi)^(BHVF) The ''Ponts et Chaussées'' are named in Saint-Simon (late 17th century).^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Punt'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1179 – ''Batre com asne a pont'', ''Roman de Renart''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1200 – A link, ''Lai du Conseil''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1260 – ''Pont de neis''.^(TLFi)

+ * late 15th century – ''Le pont aux asgnes''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1765 – ''Pont suspendu''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1867 – ''Faire le pont''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1948 – ''Pont aérien''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|bridge]]: ''traverser le pont'', ''pont suspendu'', ''pont-levis''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A link: ''jeter un pont entre…'', ''couper les ponts'', to break off relations.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|deck]] of a ship: ''pont supérieur'', ''pont d'envol''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Faire le pont'': to take the working day between a holiday and a weekend off.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Pont aérien'': an [[m|en|airlift]].^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The flap of a pair of trousers: ''pantalon à pont''.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ # ''(North America, dentistry)'' A bridge.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ponceau]]

+ * [[pont-levis]]

+ * [[ponter]]

+ * [[pontage]]

+ * [[entrepont]]

+ * [[appontement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pontife]]

+ * [[ponton]]

+ * [[la|pōns]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Le pont aux ânes'' “something anyone knows” is said to come from donkeys' reluctance to cross bridges, which had to be overcome by blows, Rabelais (1532) applies it to a logical rule, and it was also used of the theorem of the square of the hypotenuse.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}