pardon French · revision 17314

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=1130–40, Wace, Vie de sainte Marguerite|origins=la dōnō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /paʁ.dɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pardon''' ''m'' (plural pardons)^(Wiktionary)

+ Anglo-Norman [[m|xno|pardun]], [[m|xno|pardoun]], [[m|xno|perdun]].^(AND)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a deverbal noun [[der|fr|pardonner|t=to forgive]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary) The verb goes back to [[la-lat|perdōnō]], found once, about 400, meaning “to grant, concede”;^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|8, 230a) Etymonline analyses it as [[m|la|per-|t=through, thoroughly]] and [[m|la|dōnō|t=to give as a gift]], from [[m|la|dōnum|t=gift]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|perdo]], [[ca|perdó]], [[es|perdón]], [[pt|perdão]] and [[it|perdono]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Its first recorded sense, in Wace's ''Life of Saint Margaret'' (1130–40), is the act of forgiving an [[m|en|offence]].^(TLFi) The Anglo-Norman dictionary has ''pardun'' from 1113–19.^(AND)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In religious use it soon meant [[m|en|absolution]] (1160–74, Wace) and an [[m|en|indulgence]], then the feast at which indulgences were gained (about 1240).^(TLFi) In Brittany a ''pardon'' is a patronal feast with a pilgrimage, recorded from 1834;^(TLFi) the ''Grand Pardon'', the Jewish Day of Atonement, is in Trévoux in 1721.^(TLFi)

+

+ As a formula of politeness, ''je vous en demande pardon'' is found in the mid-16th century, and ''pardon!'' alone about 1540;^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) Molière has ''je vous demande pardon'' and Madame de Sévigné ''mille pardons''.^(GLLF 1989) ''Sans pardon'' “merciless” is recorded in Delille, 1802.^(TLFi) The popular doubled formula ''pardon, excuse'' is found from 1800 in comedies.^(BHVF) [[en|pardon]] was borrowed from Old French about 1300, first meaning a papal indulgence.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1130–40 – Wace, ''Life of Saint Margaret'': forgiveness of an offence.^(TLFi)

+ * 1160–74 – Religious absolution, in Wace's ''Roman de Rou''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1240 – A feast at which indulgences were gained.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''pardon'' is borrowed from Old French.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1458 – The angelus, to which indulgences were attached.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1540 – ''Pardon!'' as an apology.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+ * 1721 – The Jewish feast of Atonement, in Trévoux.^(TLFi)

+ * 1800 – ''Pardon, excuse'' in a comedy.^(BHVF)

+ * 1834 – The Breton ''pardon''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|forgiveness]]: the act of not holding a fault or an offence against someone: ''demander pardon'', ''accorder son pardon''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # In Brittany, a religious [[m|en|pilgrimage]] and feast in honour of a saint.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''Le Grand Pardon'': [[m|en|Yom Kippur]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(historical)'' An indulgence granted by the Church.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # [[m|en|sorry]], excuse me: an apology, also used to ask someone to repeat (''pardon?'').^(Wiktionary)^(Le Robert)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pardonner]]

+ * [[pardonnable]]

+ * [[impardonnable]]

+ * [[en|pardon]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}