habiter French · revision 17236

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1050; first half of the 12th century, Cambridge Psalter|origins=la habeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.bi.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''habiter'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|habitō|t=to dwell, inhabit]], the frequentative of [[m|la|habeō|t=to have, hold]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|4, 368b) Literally the Latin verb meant “to have often, to be often (somewhere)”.^(Littré 1873)^(DHLF 1992) Its supine “habitum” gave [[m|la|habitūdō]], whence [[habitude]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[es|habitar]] and [[it|abitare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) has it for occupying a dwelling: ''que je habite en la maisun nostre segnur tuz les jurz de ma vie'' “that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The figurative use, with an abstract subject, belongs at first to the language of devotion (13th century): peace or grace “dwells” in the soul.^(DHLF 1992) ''Habiter avec'' meant “to keep company with” (about 1225), and in biblical style to have carnal relations with someone.^(DHLF 1992) In Middle French it meant to fill a country with towns, to people it (1393), a sense that survives in ''une région habitée''.^(DHLF 1992) The noun [[habitant]] (early 13th century) replaced ''habiteur''; in Canada ''habitant'' came to mean a farmer (1675).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * First half of the 12th century – “To dwell”, Cambridge Psalter.^(TLFi)

+ * Early 13th century – ''Habitant''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1225 – ''Habiter avec'' “to keep company with”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1393 – “To people”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1808 – ''Habitat''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|live]], dwell, reside: ''habiter à la campagne'', ''elle habite rue Martin''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To live in, [[m|en|inhabit]]: ''habiter une maison'', ''les animaux qui habitent la forêt''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Of a feeling or idea, to dwell in, possess: ''la peur qui l'habite''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[habitant]]

+ * [[habitable]]

+ * [[inhabitable]]

+ * [[habitat]]

+ * [[inhabité]]

+ * [[cohabiter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[habitation]]

+ * [[habitude]]

+ * [[la|habitō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}