heureux French · revision 17392

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=late 12th century, Partonopeu de Blois (euros)|origins=la augurium}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /œ.ʁø/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ø.ʁø/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''heureux''' (feminine heureuse, masculine plural heureux, feminine plural heureuses)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|euros]] (late 12th century), ''eüreus'' (1213); ''eureux'' in the 14th century and ''heureux'' from the 15th.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ In the 16th and 17th centuries it was also pronounced ''hureux'', Bèze held this to be the good pronunciation.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|heur|-eux]], from “heur” “luck, fortune”.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|25, 887b) “Heur” (Old French [[m|fro|aür]], “eür”) is inherited from [[la-lat|agurium]], an altered form of classical [[la|augurium|t=omen, augury]], which took the sense “luck, good or bad” as pagan beliefs declined.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) “Heur” owes its ⟨h⟩ to [[heure]], with which it was confused.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Compare [[oc|aürós]] and [[es|agüero|t=omen]].^(Wiktionary)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found at the end of the 12th century in ''Partonopeu de Blois'' as ''euros'', meaning “favoured by fate, lucky”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the early 13th century it was said of people “who know happiness”, and in the 13th century of things “favourable, advantageous”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Heureuse vie'' “a happy life” is in Marot (1538), and the exclamation ''heureux celui qui… !'' in Du Bellay (1558).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ In the 17th century it came to mean “successful, apt” of a work or phrase (Boileau, 1674), ''un heureux caractère'' a cheerful disposition, and ''avoir la main heureuse'' “to be lucky” (1690).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The plural noun ''les heureux'' is recorded in 1654 and ''faire des heureux'' in 1701.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) As ''heur'' fell out of use after about 1660–1670, ''heureux'', with [[bonheur]] and [[malheur]], kept its family alive.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Euros'' “lucky”, in ''Partonopeu de Blois''.^(TLFi)

+ * Early 13th century – “Happy”, in Pierre de Corbie.^(TLFi)

+ * 1213 – ''Eüreus'' in the ''Fet des Romains''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1538 – ''Heureuse vye'' in Marot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1654 – ''Les heureux'', as a noun.^(TLFi)

+ * 1674 – “Apt, felicitous”, in Boileau.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|happy]], contented: ''un homme heureux'', ''heureux comme un roi''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Heureux de'': [[m|en|glad]], pleased: ''heureux de vous voir''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # [[m|en|lucky]], [[m|en|fortunate]]: ''heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(of things)'' Favourable: ''un heureux hasard'', ''un heureux événement'' “a birth”.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Apt, successful: ''une heureuse expression''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Encore heureux'': it's just as well.^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A happy person: ''faire des heureux''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bienheureux]]

+ * [[heureusement]]

+ * [[malheureux]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bonheur]]

+ * [[heur]]

+ * [[malheur]]

+ * [[augure]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}