rencontrer French · revision 17374

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1175, Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Chronique des ducs de Normandie}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʁɑ̃.kɔ̃.tʁe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rencontrer'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|re-|encontrer]], from Old and Middle French [[m|fro|encontrer|t=to meet, come face to face with]] (about 980, still found as “ancontrer” in 1636), itself derived from [[encontre]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|2, 1114a)^(Wiktionary) “Encontre” is inherited from [[la-lat|incontrā]], from [[m|la|contrā|t=against]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1175 in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's ''Chronique des ducs de Normandie'', in a context of war, meaning “to engage in battle”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The military sense survives, weakened, in sport: ''rencontrer'' an opponent (20th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The dominant sense “to come across by chance” is from about 1225, “to meet by arrangement” dates from 1611.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Rencontrer les yeux de quelqu'un'' is in Racine (1669), and ''se rencontrer'' “to meet each other” in Amyot (1559); “to think alike” in Corneille (1643) survives in the proverb ''les grands esprits se rencontrent''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary) In the 16th century it also meant “to make witty remarks”.^(TLFi) The noun [[rencontre]] dates from the 12th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – The older ''encontrer''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1175 – “To engage in battle”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1225 – “To come across”, in Péan Gatineau.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Se rencontrer'', in Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – “To meet by arrangement”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1643 – “To think alike”, in Corneille.^(TLFi)

+ * 1702 – A nautical term.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|meet]], come across: ''je l'ai rencontré dans la rue''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To meet (by arrangement); to meet for the first time.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To come up against, [[m|en|encounter]]: ''rencontrer des difficultés''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sport)'' To play against.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Se rencontrer'': to meet; to exist, be found: ''cela se rencontre''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rencontre]]

+ * [[encontre]]

+ * [[contre]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Les grands esprits se rencontrent'' “great minds think alike”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}