espérer French · revision 17381

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la spēs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛs.pe.ʁe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''espérer'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|esperer]], [[inh|la|spērō|t=to look forward to, expect; to hope]], derived from [[m|la|spēs|t=expectation, hope]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|12, 164b)^(Wiktionary) The ⟨s⟩ and the treatment of the stressed vowel are due to contact with written Latin, which gives the word the look of a borrowing; the regular forms survive in [[espoir]], from the old present “espoir” “I hope”.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The root of “spēs” is also in [[ang|spōwan|t=to succeed]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|sperare]], [[oc|esperar]], [[es|esperar]] and [[ro|spera]]; in Spanish, Italian and Occitan the verb also means “to wait”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1050 in the ''Vie de saint Alexis'', meaning “to regard as bound to happen”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ About 1120 it also meant “to wait, expect”, still current in the 19th century, and in the first half of the 12th century “to trust in” (''esperez el segnur'', Oxford Psalter).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The sense “to wait” is alive in Normandy, the west and the south, and in Quebec; it gives the southern exclamation ''j'espère !'' “well I never!”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) In central French ''espérer en'' “to put one's trust in” and the absolute use remain.^(DHLF 1992) ''Espérer quelqu'un'' “to hope someone will come” is classical.^(GLLF 1989) Derivatives include [[espérance]] (1080), [[espoir]] (1155) and [[désespérer]] (1155).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – In the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1080 – ''Espérance''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1120 – “To wait for”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1st half of the 12th century – ''Espérer en'' “to trust in”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1155 – ''Espoir'' and ''désespérer''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 15th century – ''Inespéré''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|hope]], to hope for: ''espérer une réponse'', ''j'espère qu'il viendra''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Espérer en'': to have faith, [[m|en|trust]] in: ''espérer en Dieu''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To expect someone: ''on ne vous espérait plus''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(regional, Quebec)'' To [[m|en|wait]] for.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[désespérer]]

+ * [[espoir]]

+ * [[espérance]]

+ * [[désespérance]]

+ * [[inespéré]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prospère]]

+ * [[désespoir]]

+ * [[la|spērō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}