silence French · revision 17376

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1121–1134, Philippe de Thaon, Bestiaire|origins=la sileō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /si.lɑ̃s/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''silence''' ''m'' (plural silences)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French also ''scilence'', ''sillance'', Picard ''silenche''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ Like the Latin feminine sense, it was sometimes feminine from the early 13th to the middle of the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|silentium|t=silence, stillness]], derived from [[m|la|sileō|t=to be silent]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|11, 611b)^(Wiktionary) “Sileō” was first used of the absence of movement and noise, of things as well as people, more commonly than [[m|la|taceō]] (see [[taire]]); its origin is obscure.^(DHLF 1992) Littré compared [[got|𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽|tr=silan|t=to be quiet]].^(Littré 1873) Old French also had a verb “siler” “to be silent”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Compare [[oc|silenci]], [[es|silencio]] and [[it|silenzio]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in Philippe de Thaon's ''Bestiaire'' (1121–1134), meaning the state of someone who refrains from speaking.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ About 1190 it also meant not expressing one's thoughts, as in ''en silence'' “without a word; without complaining”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Phrases followed: ''faire sillance'' “to be silent” (about 1210), ''être mis en silence'', a monastic punishment (1327), ''passer sous silence'' (1330), ''imposer silence'' (15th century) and ''réduire au silence'' (1762).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The command ''silence !'' is recorded by the Académie in 1718.^(TLFi)

+

+ The general sense, absence of noise, dates from about 1350 (Picard ''silenche'').^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) In law ''le silence de la loi'' is a case the law does not provide for (1804–1835); in music it names a rest (1767–1770).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) The adjective [[silencieux]] dates from 1524.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1121–1134 – In Philippe de Thaon's ''Bestiaire''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1190 – ''En silence''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1327 – ''Être mis en silence'', a monastic punishment.^(TLFi)

+ * 1330 – ''Passer sous silence''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1350 – Absence of noise.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1524 – ''Silencieux''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1718 – ''Silence !'', in the Académie dictionary.^(TLFi)

+ * 1767 – A rest in music, in Rousseau.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|silence]], the fact of not speaking: ''garder le silence'', ''en silence''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A pause in speech: ''une conversation entrecoupée de silences''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Absence of noise, quiet: ''le silence de la nuit''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Not mentioning, [[m|en|secrecy]]: ''passer sous silence'', ''la loi du silence''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(music)'' A [[m|en|rest]].^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Minute de silence'': a minute's silence in memory of the dead.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Quiet!: ''silence, on tourne !''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[silencieux]]

+ * [[silencieusement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[taire]]

+ * [[la|silentium]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''La parole est d'argent et le silence est d'or'': speech is silver, silence is golden.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}