parole French · revision 17287

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=grc παραβολή}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pa.ʁɔl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''parole''' ''f'' (plural paroles)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*paraula]], from [[m|la-ecc|parabola|t=parable; grave, inspired speech]], borrowed from [[grc|παραβολή|tr=parabolḗ|t=comparison]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|7, 603a) In classical Latin “parabola” was a term of rhetoric for a comparison (Seneca, Quintilian); the Christian sense of a solemn utterance comes from Hebrew “māšāl”, which it translated.^(DHLF 1992) Because it was so common in religious language, while [[m|la|verbum]] was kept for the divine Word, it replaced “verbum” as the word for speech in all the Romance languages except Romanian.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It is a doublet of the learned [[parabole]] and of [[palabre]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|parola]], [[oc|paraula]], [[ca|paraula]], [[es|palabra]] and [[pt|palavra]]; [[ro|parolă]] means “password”.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has it both of speech in general, ''De sa parole ne fut mie hastifs'' (“he was not hasty in his speech”), and of words spoken: ''De cez paroles que vous avez ci dit''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French it also meant the tone of voice (about 1140), where modern French says ''voix'', and, from about 1165 the faculty of speech (''de joie li faut la parole'').^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From about 1165 it meant a promise (''doner parole''), the source of many phrases: ''sur votre parole'' (1628), ''homme de parole'' (1633), ''manquer à sa parole'' (1611), ''tenir parole'' (1669), ''parole d'honneur'' (1694), ''sur parole'' (1747).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) It also meant empty talk (''paroles pleines de vent'', about 1470) and teaching, especially the Word of God (1188, ''la Parole de Dieu'', 1670).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In the 17th century it took the senses of eloquence (Nicot, 1606) and the right to speak (La Bruyère, 1688), whence ''avoir, demander, donner la parole''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The oath ''ma parole!'' is found in 1795.^(BHVF) In 1916 Saussure made ''parole'' the individual use of language, opposed to ''langue''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In the plural it means the words of a song.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1165 – The faculty of speech; a promise.^(TLFi)

+ * 1188 – Teaching.^(TLFi)

+ * 1606 – Eloquence, in Nicot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – ''Manquer à sa parole'', Cotgrave.^(BHVF)

+ * 1633 – ''Homme de parole'', Guez de Balzac.^(TLFi)

+ * 1688 – The right to speak, La Bruyère.^(TLFi)

+ * 1795 – ''Ma parole!''.^(BHVF)

+ * 1916 – Saussure's ''parole''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|speech]], the faculty of speaking: ''perdre la parole'', ''il ne lui manque que la parole''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # A [[m|en|word]], an utterance, (plural) words, remarks: ''de belles paroles''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A [[m|en|promise]], one's word: ''donner sa parole'', ''tenir parole'', ''croire sur parole''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # The right to speak, the [[m|en|floor]]: ''avoir, demander, prendre la parole''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # (plural) The [[m|en|lyrics]] of a song.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(religion)'' ''La Parole (de Dieu)'': the Word of God.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(linguistics)'' Speech as the individual use of language, opposed to ''langue''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Ma parole!'': my word!, honestly!^(BHVF)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[parolier]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[parler]]

+ * [[parabole]]

+ * [[palabre]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}