douter French · revision 17086

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (duter, “to fear”)|origins=la duo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /du.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''douter'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''duter'', ''doter'', ''douter'' from the 12th century; also ''doubter'' in Middle French.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|dubitō|t=to hesitate, waver, doubt; in Late Latin, to fear]], from [[m|la|dubius|t=wavering, undecided]], from [[m|la|duo|t=two]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 169a)

+

+ Cognate with [[es|dudar]], [[pt|duvidar]], [[ca|dubtar]] and [[pro|doptar]], which also meant “to fear”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it means “to fear”: the Saracens ''nes ont mie dutez''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ “To fear” was the main sense in Old French and still dominant in the 16th century (Bloch and Wartburg have it until 1613); it then gave way to [[redouter]], though it survived in central dialects and in Lorraine.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The modern sense, to be uncertain about something, appears in Wace (1130–40).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Se douter de'' “to suspect” is from the early 14th century, and the absolute ''douter'', of the sceptic, from Montaigne (1580).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The noun [[doute]] followed the same path, from “fear” to “uncertainty”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – “To fear”, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1130–40 – “To be uncertain”, Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * early 14th century – ''Se douter de''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1580 – Absolute ''douter'', Montaigne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1613 – Last recorded use in the sense “to fear”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|doubt]]: ''douter de qqch.'', ''j'en doute'', ''je doute qu'il vienne'', ''à n'en pas douter'', undoubtedly.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To have no confidence in: ''douter de qqn'', ''ne douter de rien'', to be very sure of oneself.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Se douter de'': to [[m|en|suspect]]: ''je m'en doutais''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[doute]]

+ * [[douteux]]

+ * [[redouter]]

+ * [[indubitable]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[deux]]

+ * [[dubitatif]]

+ * [[la|dubitō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}