demi French · revision 17053

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /də.mi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''demi''' (feminine demie, masculine plural demis, feminine plural demies)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*dimedius]], found in glosses, a remaking after [[la|medius|t=middle]] of classical [[m|la|dīmidius|t=halved, half]], from [[m|la|dis-|t=apart]] and “medius”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|3, 80b) From “medius” French also has [[mi]], and, from its derivative “medianus” [[moyen]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The word is only Gallo-Romance: compare [[pro|demeg]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) In most dialects it replaced “mi” as adjective and noun.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it is an adjective before a noun, “forming half of a whole”: ''Demie Espagne vous velt enfin doner'' “he wants to give you half of Spain”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Philippe de Thaon (1119) already places it after the noun with ''et'': ''vint et nof jurz e demi'' “twenty-nine and a half days”.^(TLFi) Before the noun it agreed in gender until the 14th century, Vaugelas, followed by Thomas Corneille and the Académie, made it invariable in compounds, although agreement is still found in the 18th century.^(DHLF 1992) Compounds such as ''demi-aune'' (1176–1181), ''demi-heure'' (12th century), ''demi-dieu'' (13th century) and ''demi-frère'' (14th century) multiplied from the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ Before an adjective or participle it means “half”, as in Chrétien de Troyes's ''demie traite'' “half drawn” (1181–1191), and ''à demi'' is in Charles d'Orléans (before 1465).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The feminine noun ''demie'' “half” dates from 1174–1176, the masculine from 1611 (Cotgrave); ''un demi'' became a large glass of beer, originally half a litre (1895, Jules Renard), and in team sports a half-back (1907).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1119 – ''E demi'' after the noun, Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * 1174–1176 – Feminine noun ''demie''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1181–1191 – ''Demie traite'' “half drawn”, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * before 1465 – ''A demy'', Charles d'Orléans.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – Masculine noun ''demi'', Cotgrave.^(TLFi)

+ * 1895 – ''Demis de bière'', Jules Renard.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ * 1907 – A half-back in sport.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|half]]: before a noun, invariable and hyphenated (''une demi-heure''); after a noun with ''et'': ''deux heures et demie'', ''trois ans et demi''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Half, partly: ''demi-nu'', ''à demi'', by half: ''à demi mort''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A half, ''(feminine)'' the half hour: ''sonner la demie''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A glass of beer, now about 25 centilitres: ''un demi pression''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sport)'' A [[m|en|half-back]]: ''demi de mêlée'', a scrum half.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(Polynesia)'' A person of mixed descent.^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[moitié]]

+ * [[mi]]

+ * [[moyen]]

+ * [[la|dimidius]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverbial ''à trompeur, trompeur et demi'' “set a thief to catch a thief” is found about 1450 and in Furetière (1690).^(BHVF)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}