atteindre French · revision 17167

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (ataindre)|origins=la tangō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.tɛ̃dʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''atteindre'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''ataindre'', ''ateindre''; the spellings ''ataindre'', ''attaindre'' are frequent until the 17th century.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|ataindre]], from popular Latin [[inh|la-vul|*attangō]], a remaking of classical [[m|la|attingō|t=to touch; to reach, arrive at]] after the simple verb [[m|la|tangō|t=to touch]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(FEW|25, 732b)^(Wiktionary) The family of “tangere” also gave [[tact]], [[tactile]], [[intègre]], [[contigu]] and [[contagion]]; the Petit Robert relates it to an Indo-European root “*tag-” “to touch”, and Rey thinks it is perhaps related to [[got|𐍄𐌴𐌺𐌰𐌽|tr=tēkan]] and [[en|take]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Pierre Guiraud saw in it, as in [[attacher]] and [[attaquer]], usually given a Germanic origin, a popular derivative of “attingere”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[ro|atinge]], [[it|attingere]], [[oc|atenher]], [[ca|atànyer]], [[es|atañer]] and [[pt|atingir]].^(Petit Robert 2007) Old Occitan had both “atanher” “to belong, befit”, from “*attangere”, and “atenher” “to reach”, from “attingere”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it means to catch up with a fugitive (''Vers Saragoce il les vont ateignant'') and, of an evil, to attack (''Nes poet garder que mals ne lui ateigne'').^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 12th century ''ataindre qqn de qqch.'' was to hit and wound someone, and about 1155 the verb was already used figuratively for “to equal, reach the same level”.^(DHLF 1992) The construction with ''à'' (“to manage to, succeed in”) was common in the classical period and is now an archaism.^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse) The derivative [[atteinte]] (''atainte'', about 1295) was at first figurative; the past participle ''atteint'' is used mostly of a person affected by an illness, especially mentally.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Ataindre'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 12th century – To hit and wound.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1155 – “To equal”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1295 – ''Atainte''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 17th century – The spelling ''atteindre'' prevails.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|reach]], arrive at (a place): ''nous atteindrons Paris dans vingt minutes''; to catch up with.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To reach (something placed high), get hold of: ''atteindre un livre sur une étagère''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To hit (with a missile or weapon): ''la balle l'a atteint au bras''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ # To reach (a level, age or amount): ''atteindre la soixantaine'', ''les prix ont atteint des records''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+ # To [[m|en|attain]], achieve: ''atteindre un but''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To affect, of an illness or misfortune: ''être atteint d'une maladie''; to contact (someone).^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(literary)'' ''Atteindre à'': to attain with effort.^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[atteinte]]

+ * [[atteint]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tact]]

+ * [[contact]]

+ * [[contagion]]

+ * [[contigu]]

+ * [[la|attingō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}