promettre French · revision 17292

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=second half of the 10th century, Vie de saint Léger (prometre)|origins=la mittō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁɔ.mɛtʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''promettre'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|prometre]], also [[m|fro|prametre]], ''promettre'' from about 1265 (Jean de Meun).^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|prōmittō|t=to let go forward; to assure, guarantee; to foretell]], an early borrowing adapted to [[mettre]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|9, 441a) The Latin verb is formed of [[m|la|prō-|t=forward]] and [[m|la|mittō|t=to send]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Wiktionary takes it as inherited, through Old French “prometre”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|prometre]], [[es|prometer]] and [[it|promettere]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Life of Saint Leger'' (second half of the 10th century) ''Peis li promest'' “he promises him peace”: to commit oneself to something.^(TLFi) The ''Chanson de Roland'' has the participle ''pramis''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ French took only the figurative Latin senses.^(DHLF 1992) With a thing as subject it meant “to seem to announce” (''Eneas'', about 1160: sky and sea promise him death), and “to foretell” (about 1220) until ''prédire'' took over.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Used absolutely, “to show great promise”, it is in Amyot (1559), and ironically ''ça promet!'' in 1784.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Se promettre'' meant to vow (about 1135), and, from 1538 to count on something; the reciprocal use “to promise each other” is of the 17th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The participle gave ''terre promise'' (15th century, again in Pascal), ''un promis'' “fiancé” (1538), now regional or ironic, and ''chose promise, chose due'' (1694).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Second half of the 10th century – ''Promest'', ''Life of Saint Leger''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Pramis'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * c. 1160 – “To seem to announce”, ''Eneas''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Promis'' “fiancé”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – Absolute “to show promise”, Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1784 – ''Ça promet!''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|promise]]: ''promettre son aide'', ''promettre de venir'', ''il m'a promis qu'il viendrait''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To assure, [[m|en|assert]]: ''je te le promets''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To give hope of, [[m|en|foreshadow]]: ''le temps promet de la pluie'', (absolutely) to be promising, ''ça promet!'' (ironic).^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Se promettre'': to resolve; to look forward to: ''se promettre du plaisir''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Promettre monts et merveilles'': to promise the earth.^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[promesse]]

+ * [[prometteur]]

+ * [[promis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mettre]]

+ * [[promission]]

+ * [[la|prōmittō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}