agent French · revision 17065

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1337, Registre criminel de Saint-Martin-des-Champs|origins=la agō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.ʒɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''agent''' ''m'' (plural agents, feminine agente)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-med|agēns|t=one who acts]], the scholastic use as a noun of the present participle of [[la|agō|t=to do, act]] (see [[agir]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|24, 258b) The sense “person acting for another” was strengthened in the 16th century by [[it|agente]], of the same origin, Bloch and Wartburg and the Petit Robert treat it as a separate borrowing from Italian, which Henri Estienne in 1578 called newly come from Italy.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In a legal record of 1337 it is an adjective, ''agent à'' with an infinitive, “acting to”: ''aidans, agens et consentans'' “helping, acting and consenting”, Rey has the noun from 1332.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In philosophy it was the acting being or efficient cause (1370, Oresme), later anything producing an effect, as in ''agent naturel'' (1690) and ''agent chimique'' (1835).^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) The sense “envoy, diplomat” (1578) gave ''agent diplomatique'' (1804) and ''agent consulaire'' (1835), and business gave ''agent de change'' “stockbroker” (1639) and ''agent d'affaires'' (1835).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The French Revolution created the ''agent de police'' (1797), simply ''agent'' by 1913, ''agent secret'' (1825), ''agent provocateur'' (1829) and ''agent double'' followed.^(DHLF 1992) The feminine ''agente'' is common in Geneva and Quebec.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1337 – Adjective ''agent à'', in a legal record.^(TLFi)

+ * 1370 – The acting cause, in philosophy.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1578 – “Envoy”, after Italian ''agente''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1639 – ''Agent de change''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1797 – ''Agent de police''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1825 – ''Agent secret''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1829 – ''Agent provocateur''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(philosophy, grammar)'' The one who acts, as opposed to the one acted upon: ''complément d'agent''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Something that acts or produces an effect; a force or substance: ''agents atmosphériques'', ''agent pathogène''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # An [[m|en|agent]], [[m|en|representative]] acting for a person, group or country.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # An employee of a public service or a company: ''agent d'entretien'', ''agent de change'', a [[m|en|stockbroker]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A police officer: ''agent de police'', ''monsieur l'agent''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A [[m|en|spy]]: ''agent secret'', ''agent double''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[agence]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[agir]]

+ * [[action]]

+ * [[la|agō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}