liberté French · revision 17129

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=early 13th century, Dialogues de saint Grégoire (liureteit)|origins=la līber}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /li.bɛʁ.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''liberté''' ''f'' (countable and uncountable, plural libertés)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''liureteit'', Lorraine ''liberteit'' (1365).^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|lībertās|t=the condition of a free person; civic rights; independence; frankness]], from [[m|la|līber|t=free]] (see [[libre]]).^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|5, 304a)^(Wiktionary) In Medieval Latin it also meant a privilege or charter granting a privileged status (1002).^(TLFi) Wiktionary treats the Old French word as the borrowing, inherited by modern French.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[pro|libertat]], [[ca|llibertat]], [[es|libertad]] and [[it|libertà]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Early in the 13th century the ''Sapientia'' in the ''Dialogues'' of Saint Gregory has ''liureteit'', the power of the will to decide without constraint, free will; the Grand Robert dates it to about 1190.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In 1266 ''libertés'' were the immunities and franchises granted to a town, and about 1355 Bersuire used ''liberté'' for the independence of a people.^(TLFi) The condition of a man who has no master is recorded in 1324, that of someone not in prison in 1365, and that of someone without commitments about 1393 (the ''Ménagier de Paris''), which also has ''liberté de'' with an infinitive.^(TLFi) Robert Estienne (1538) records freedom from social or moral constraint, boldness of speech, and the political rights of a citizen.^(TLFi) ''Prendre des libertés'' with a woman is from 1680.^(TLFi)

+

+ The 18th century made the political vocabulary: ''liberté publique'' (Académie, 1694), ''liberté politique'' (Montesquieu, 1748), ''liberté de la presse'' (1753), ''liberté de penser'' (Voltaire, 1763), ''liberté individuelle'' (1787).^(TLFi) ''Liberté, égalité, fraternité'' is the motto of the French Republic.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * early 13th century – ''Liureteit'', free will.^(TLFi)

+ * 1266 – ''Libertés'', a town's franchises.^(TLFi)

+ * 1324 – The condition of a free man.^(TLFi)

+ * 1365 – Not being in prison.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – Political rights, Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1748 – ''Liberté politique'', Montesquieu.^(TLFi)

+ * 1763 – ''Liberté de penser'', Voltaire.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|freedom]], [[m|en|liberty]], the state of not being a slave or a prisoner: ''rendre la liberté à qqn'', ''en liberté'', ''liberté provisoire''.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+ # The power to act without constraint: ''liberté d'action'', ''avoir toute liberté de''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # A civil or political right: ''liberté d'expression'', ''liberté de la presse'', ''les libertés publiques''.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(philosophy)'' Free will.^(TLFi)

+ # Freedom of manner, ease, ''(plural)'' liberties: ''prendre des libertés avec''.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(historical, plural)'' Franchises, privileges of a town.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[libre]]

+ * [[libérer]]

+ * [[libéral]]

+ * [[libertin]]

+ * [[la|lībertās]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}