conduire French · revision 17316

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (conducent)|origins=la dūcō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɔ̃.dɥiʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''conduire'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|condūcō|t=to lead together, bring together]], formed from [[m|la|con-]] and [[m|la|dūcō|t=to lead]]; in popular Latin it took over the senses of the simple verb, “to draw, lead, guide”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(FEW|2, 1023a) In Old French it finally replaced “duire”, from “dūcō”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) The Petit Robert connects “dūcō” and [[m|la|dux|t=leader]] (whence [[duc]]) with a root “*deuk-” “to pull”, as in [[de|ziehen]] and [[en|team]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|conduce]], [[it|condurre]], [[oc|counduire]], [[ca|conduir]], [[es|conducir]] and [[pt|conduzir]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century) has the form ''conducent'' “they lead (someone) away to a place”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) uses it for “to accompany” and for “to drive (someone) to an act”: ''Que nous seions conduit à mendier'' (“that we be reduced to begging”).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) Chrétien de Troyes (1172–1175) has it for escorting to safety.^(TLFi) From the 14th century it meant to direct as head: in law (1372, ''conduire un procès'', 1479), in administration (1474) and later in music (''conduire un chœur'', 1845).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Béranger's ''conduire à l'église'' “to marry” (1829) matches Medieval Latin ''uxorem conducere'' (about 1194).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Furetière (1690) records ''conduire un attelage'', and the absolute ''conduire'' “to drive” spread in the 19th century (Dumas, 1846), becoming very common with the motor car.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Madame de Sévigné (1677) uses it for conducting a narrative, Nerval (1851) for conducting heat, and climbers for leading the rope (1913).^(TLFi)^(BHVF) The reflexive ''se conduire'' “to behave” goes back to the 13th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 10th century – ''Conducent'' in the ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – “To accompany”, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * mid-13th century – ''Se conduire'' “to behave”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1479 – ''Conduire un procès''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – ''Conduire un attelage'' in Furetière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1829 – ''Conduire à l'église'' “to marry”, in Béranger.^(TLFi)

+ * 1846 – ''Conduire'' “to drive”, in Dumas.^(TLFi)

+ * 1851 – “To conduct (heat)”, in Nerval.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To take, lead (someone) somewhere: ''conduire un enfant à l'école'', ''conduire quelqu'un chez le médecin''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To [[m|en|drive]] (a vehicle); to steer, guide (an animal): ''conduire une voiture'', ''savoir conduire''.^(Le Robert)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To lead, direct, manage: ''conduire une armée'', ''une affaire'', ''un procès''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(music)'' To [[m|en|conduct]]: ''conduire un orchestre''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To drive (someone) to: ''conduire au désespoir''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(physics)'' To conduct (heat, electricity).^(TLFi)

+ # ''Se conduire'': to [[m|en|behave]]: ''se conduire mal''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(mountaineering)'' To lead (a rope of climbers).^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[conducteur]]

+ * [[conduit]]

+ * [[conduite]]

+ * [[reconduire]]

+ * [[sauf-conduit]]

+ * [[inconduite]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[duc]]

+ * [[la|condūcō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}