second French · revision 17154

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1119, Philippe de Thaon (secunt)|origins=la sequor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sə.ɡɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /sə.ɡɔ̃t‿/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /zɡɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''second''' (feminine seconde, masculine plural seconds, feminine plural secondes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''secunt'' (1119), ''secund'' (about 1138), ''second'' (about 1155); the variant ''segond'', ''segont'', matching the pronunciation, lasted until the 18th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi) The ⟨c⟩ is a Latinising spelling, pronounced /ɡ/.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|secundus|t=following; favourable; second]], a semi-learned word.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|11, 382b)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective, properly “following”, is an old participle of [[m|la|sequor|t=to follow]] (see [[suivre]]) with an exceptional ending “-undus”; it was first said of the current carrying a boat downstream or of a following wind, hence “favourable”, and then served as the ordinal of [[m|la|duo]].^(DHLF 1992) The inherited outcome of “secundus” is the Old French preposition “son”, “segun” “according to” (see [[selon]]), and Wiktionary gives [[son]] “bran” as a doublet.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[pro|segon]], [[es|segundo]], [[pt|segundo]] and [[it|secondo]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Philippe de Thaon's ''Comput'' (1119) ''secunt'' means “second”, coming straight after the first.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ “Favourable” was taken up from Latin about 1180, and about 1200 ''il n'est nule autre seconde'' meant that a woman had no equal, whence ''sans seconde'' (1455–58).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Later uses include ''pain second'', brown bread (end of the 14th century), ''nopces secondes'' (Amyot, 1559), ''causes secondes'' (1656), and ''de seconde main'' (1723).^(TLFi) As a noun it meant a second cousin and the second subject of a song (about 1260), senses now lost; the assistant who helps a superior gave the ship's mate, a duellist's second and, in shops, the employee next to the head of department (Zola, 1882).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)^(Larousse) It is now generally preferred to ''deuxième'' in careful use when only two things are considered.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1119 – ''Secunt'', Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1155 – The form ''second'', Wace.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * c. 1180 – “Favourable”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1455–58 – ''Sans seconde''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Nopces secondes'', Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1723 – ''De seconde main''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|second]], coming after the first: ''pour la seconde fois'', ''le Second Empire'', ''en second lieu''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # Secondary, of lesser rank: ''de second ordre'', ''de seconde main'', secondhand, indirect.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # Another, new: ''une seconde nature'', ''état second'', a trance-like state.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(literary)'' ''Sans second'': unequalled.^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The second one: ''il est second'', ''le second'', the pupil ranked second.^(Littré 1873)

+ # An [[m|en|assistant]], deputy; a ship's second-in-command, first [[m|en|mate]]; a duellist's or boxer's second.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[secondement]]

+ * [[seconder]]

+ * [[secondaire]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[seconde]]

+ * [[deuxième]]

+ * [[suivre]]

+ * [[selon]]

+ * [[la|secundus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}