champ French · revision 17075

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʃɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''champ''' ''m'' (plural champs)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''champ'', also ''camp'' (1080), a Norman and Picard form.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|campus|t=plain; cultivated plain, field; battlefield; field of action]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|2, 156a) The Latin word, probably native to an ancient language of Italy, first meant a plain as opposed to mountains; it gave up that sense to “plana” (see [[plaine]]) and in Late Latin largely replaced [[la|ager]] for a field.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It is a doublet of [[camp]] and [[campus]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|campo]], [[es|campo]], [[pt|campo]], [[oc|camp]], [[ca|camp]] and [[ro|câmp]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''arpent de camp'', land for growing crops, and also ''champ'' for the battlefield.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Champ de la bataille'' (before 1283) was shortened to ''champ de bataille'' (14th century); the duelling ground gave ''champ clos''.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''Les champs'' as opposed to the town (13th century; plural from 1539) was slowly overtaken by [[campagne]], but survives in phrases such as ''aux champs'' and ''la clé des champs''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Heraldry uses ''champ'' for the background of a shield (13th century).^(TLFi)

+

+ Figurative uses: ''sur-le-champ'' “at once” (1538), ''à tout bout de champ'' “at every turn” (Cotgrave, 1611) and ''champ'' “field of action” (1539).^(TLFi) Science adopted it for the field of an optical instrument (1753) and for electric and magnetic fields (1899); cinema has ''champ'' and ''contrechamp''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – A field; a battlefield, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 13th century – A heraldic field.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Sur le champ''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1539 – A field of action, ''les champs''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – ''À chaque bout de champ'', Cotgrave.^(TLFi)

+ * 1753 – Optical field.^(TLFi)

+ * 1899 – ''Champ électrique'', ''magnétique''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|field]] (of crops): ''un champ de blé'', ''(plural)'' the countryside: ''la vie aux champs'', ''à travers champs''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An area used for a purpose: ''champ de bataille'', ''champ de courses'', ''champ de foire'', ''champ de mines''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A field (of activity, of study): ''champ d'action'', ''laisser le champ libre'', ''champ lexical''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(physics, optics)'' A field: ''champ magnétique'', ''champ de vision''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(heraldry)'' The field of a shield.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Sur-le-champ'': at once, ''à tout bout de champ'': at every turn.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[champi]]

+ * [[contrechamp]]

+ * [[sur-le-champ]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[camp]]

+ * [[campagne]]

+ * [[campus]]

+ * [[champagne]]

+ * [[champêtre]]

+ * [[champion]]

+ * [[champignon]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''De champ'' “edgewise” (''poser une brique de champ'') is a separate word, from Old French ''cant'' “side” (see [[chant]]); Littré gives it its own entry.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}