cours French · revision 17318

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (curs)|origins=la currō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kuʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cours''' ''m'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|cursus|t=running; journey, voyage; course of the stars, of a river, of life]], from [[m|la|currō|t=to run]], the source of [[courir]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|2, 1576a) Most of its French senses already existed in Latin, Rey notes that it is impossible to say which were taken again from Latin and which developed within French.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) [[course]] and [[cursus]] are doublets.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|curs]], [[it|corso]] and [[pro|cors]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) uses it for the act of running: ''Descent à pied, alet i est plein curs'' (“he dismounts and goes there at a full run”).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “running” was taken over by ''course'' in the 13th century.^(Petit Robert 2007) The voyage of a ship is ''cours'' about 1120, whence ''par long cours'' (1529) and ''voyage de long cours'' (Furetière, 1690); the movement of the stars about 1170, and, perhaps through it, the course of time (Benoît de Sainte-Maure), now chiefly in ''au cours de'' and ''suivre son cours''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) The flow of a river appears before 1200, ''cours d'eau'' in the early 16th century, and ''donner libre cours'' (1640) began with tears.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Oresme (about 1370) uses it for the circulation of money and goods, and in 1602 it means a rate of exchange, whence ''avoir cours'' (1627), figuratively from 1671.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In education it meant a course of study (1331), teaching (Nicot, 1606), a lesson (1694), a school (1882) and a grade of primary school (1887, ''cours élémentaire'', ''cours moyen'').^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Its use for a broad avenue dates from the ''Cours-la-Reine'' laid out by Marie de Médicis in 1616, influenced by [[it|corso]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 1120 – The voyage of a ship.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1170 – The course of the stars; of time.^(TLFi)

+ * 1331 – A course of study.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1370 – The circulation of money, in Oresme.^(TLFi)

+ * 1602 – An exchange rate.^(TLFi)

+ * 1616 – The ''Cours-la-Reine'' in Paris.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1694 – A lesson.^(TLFi)

+ * 1887 – ''Cours élémentaire'', ''cours moyen''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The flow, course of a river: ''le cours du Rhône'', ''cours d'eau'', a watercourse.^(Larousse)^(Le Robert)^(TLFi)

+ # The course of the stars.^(Larousse)

+ # The course of time or events: ''au cours de'', ''suivre son cours''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Donner libre cours à'': to give free rein to.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(finance)'' A rate, price: ''le cours du dollar'', ''avoir cours'', to be legal tender, to be current.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # A class, lesson, lecture: ''un cours d'histoire''; a course of study; a textbook.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+ # A grade of French primary school: ''cours préparatoire'', ''élémentaire'', ''moyen''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # A private school: ''cours de danse''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A broad [[m|en|avenue]].^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Au long cours'': (of a voyage) deep-sea.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[coursier]]

+ * [[coursière]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[courir]]

+ * [[course]]

+ * [[cursif]]

+ * [[discours]]

+ * [[parcours]]

+ * [[recours]]

+ * [[secours]]

+ * [[la|cursus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The final ⟨s⟩ is silent, Féraud and Gattel noted a pronunciation with /s/, which Littré called bad.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}