espoir French · revision 17087

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=c. 1130, Roman d'Eneas (espeir)|origins=la spērō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛs.pwaʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Louisiana): [es.pwar]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''espoir''' ''m'' (plural espoirs)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''espeir'' (about 1130), ''espoir'' (mid-12th century).^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a deverbal noun from [[espérer]], formed on the stressed forms of its Old French present tense (''j'espeir“, ”j'espoir“, ”tu espoires''…), from [[la|spērō]], “spērās”.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|12, 165b) In Old French “espoir”, the first person singular, was also used as an adverb meaning “perhaps” until the 15th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Roman d'Eneas'' (about 1130) has ''espeir'', Wace's ''Brut'' (1155) uses ''espoir'' for the feeling that leads one to hope, and ''al mien espeir'' (about 1160) meant “in my opinion”.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the start ''espoir'' meant both the act of hoping and the thing hoped for, Racine (1689) uses it of a person on whom hopes are set, a use common today in sport (''un espoir du tennis'').^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) The proverb ''l'espoir fait vivre'' and ''tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir'' are current.^(Wiktionary) In Louisiana French ''espoir'' also means a boyfriend or fiancé.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1130 – ''Espeir'', ''Roman d'Eneas''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1155 – ''Espoir'', Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1170 – The derivative ''désespoir''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1689 – A person on whom hope rests, Racine.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|hope]]: ''avoir bon espoir'', ''dans l'espoir de'', ''perdre espoir'', ''sans espoir''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A hope, something hoped for: ''réaliser ses espoirs''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # A promising young person: ''un espoir du cyclisme''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(Louisiana)'' A boyfriend, girlfriend; fiancé.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[désespoir]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[espérer]]

+ * [[espérance]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}