agir French · revision 17368

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1459 (legal term)|origins=la agō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.ʒiʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''agir'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|agō|t=to drive; to do, act; to conduct (a case)]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|24, 257b)^(Wiktionary) “Agō” was first a pastoral word, “to drive (cattle) before one”, and was used in law for conducting a case and in the theatre for playing a part; it belongs to an Indo-European root also seen in [[grc|ἄγω|tr=ágō|t=to lead]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) Littré noted that the ending “-ir” suggests an older word than the 16th-century texts show, since “agere” would then have given “ager”.^(Littré 1873) The impersonal ''il s'agit de“ is a calque of Latin ”agitur de''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the middle of the 15th century (1450–1459) as a legal term, Rey notes an early use in a Christian context, “to produce, make effective”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 16th century the verb had several senses that died out, including the transitive ''agir quelque chose'' and ''agir de'' “to speak of, treat of” (1503).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The modern intransitive “to act, do something” appears in Montaigne but became usual only in the 17th century, with “to behave” and “to have an effect on” (''agir sur'').^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''Il s'agit de'' “it is a question of” belongs to the same period.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) [[agissement]] dates from 1845 and [[réagir]] from the 18th century (Voltaire).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1459 – A legal term.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1503 – ''Agir de'' “to treat of”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * Late 16th century – Intransitive “to act”, in Montaigne.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 17th century – The modern senses become usual.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 18th century – ''Réagir'', in Voltaire.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1845 – ''Agissements''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|act]], do something: ''il est temps d'agir''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To behave: ''agir en ami'', ''agir selon sa conscience''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To have an [[m|en|effect]], work: ''le remède agit'', ''agir sur'': to act on.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(law)'' To take legal action: ''agir contre quelqu'un''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Il s'agit de'': it is a matter of, it concerns.^(Wiktionary)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[agissement]]

+ * [[réagir]]

+ * [[agissant]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[actif]]

+ * [[action]]

+ * [[interagir]]

+ * [[acte]]

+ * [[agent]]

+ * [[la|agō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}