détester French · revision 17160

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1461, Villon|origins=la testis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /de.tɛs.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''détester'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|dētestor|t=to call the gods to witness against, to curse; to abhor]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 57a)^(Wiktionary) In religious Latin it meant to turn something away by invoking the gods with imprecations, and in law to renounce solemnly before witnesses; it is from [[m|la|dē-]] and [[m|la|testor|t=to call to witness]] (see [[tester]]), from [[m|la|testis|t=witness]], and contrasts with [[m|la|attestor]] and “obtestor”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Littré gives its first sense as rejecting a charge on oath.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLFi dates it to Villon's ''Testament'' (1461), meaning “to curse”, but a past participle ''detestee'' “abhorred” is found in a translation of Ramon Lull at the end of the 13th century.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Like other verbs of strong feeling it was weakened and secularised: “to curse” lasted until the 17th century, while “to dislike” appears about 1550 (Amyot) and became dominant in the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) By litotes ''ne pas détester'' means to rather like.^(DHLF 1992) [[en|detest]] came into English in the 1530s from French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 13th century – ''Detestee'', in a translation of Lull.^(BHVF)

+ * 1461 – “To curse”, Villon.^(TLFi)

+ * mid-16th century – “To dislike”, Amyot.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1580 – Not to be able to bear, Montaigne.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 17th century – “To curse” goes out of use.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|hate]], [[m|en|detest]]: ''détester le mensonge'', ''se détester''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be unable to bear: ''je déteste attendre''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''Ne pas détester'': to quite like.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' To curse.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[détestable]]

+ * [[détestation]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[attester]]

+ * [[protester]]

+ * [[tester]]

+ * [[témoin]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}