doucement French · revision 17221

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (dulcement)}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /dus.mɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''doucement'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''dulcement'' (late 10th century, 1080), ''doucement'' from the 12th century, Middle French ''doulcement''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is derived from the feminine of [[doux]], “douce”, with the adverbial suffix [[-ment]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary) “Doux” is from [[la|dulcis|t=sweet]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Compare [[pro|dolzament]], [[pt|docemente]] and [[it|dolcemente]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century) has ''tan dulcement''; in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080) it means “gently, kindly”: ''vers Franceis humbles est dulcement''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By 1273 it meant “with gentle gestures” and “quietly, without noise”.^(GLLF 1989) Montaigne (1580) uses it for slowly, little by little, and Molière (1661) for “in secret, to oneself”: ''je me suis doucement esquivé sans rien dire''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) The exclamation ''doucement!'' “easy now!” and the familiar ''aller tout doucement'' “to be so-so” are later, Littré records the latter in 1864.^(GLLF 1989)^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Dulcement'', ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1080 – “Kindly”, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1273 – “Gently; quietly”, Adenet le Roi.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1580 – “Gradually”, Montaigne.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1661 – “Secretly”, Molière.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|gently]], softly: ''frapper doucement à la porte''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Quietly: ''parler doucement'', ''marcher doucement''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Slowly: ''rouler doucement''; gradually: ''la route descend doucement''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # Kindly, without harshness: ''reprendre quelqu'un doucement''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(familiar)'' So-so: ''les affaires vont doucement''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(interjection)'' ''Doucement!'': easy!, steady on!^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[doux]]

+ * [[douceur]]

+ * [[en douce]]

+ * [[doucereux]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}