descendre French · revision 17418

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la scandō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /de.sɑ̃dʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''descendre'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|dēscendō|t=to go down, come down; to derive from]], an early borrowing (about 980); the Latin verb is formed from [[m|la|dē-]], marking downward motion, and [[m|la|scandō|t=to climb]] (see [[scander]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)^(FEW|3, 51a)^(Wiktionary) Bloch and Wartburg treat it as the continuation of the Latin verb, Wiktionary as a borrowing passed down through Old French.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) The sense “to come from, be descended from” (13th century) was taken again from the language of Latin law.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|deissendre]], [[ca|descendir]] and [[es|descender]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found at the end of the 10th century in the ''Passion'' of Clermont: ''L'angeles Deu de cel dessend'' “the angel of God comes down from heaven”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) uses it for going down (''jus del paleis descent'') and for dismounting (''de sun cheval descent''); from about 1375 it was said of a rider stopping at an inn, and then of any traveller putting up somewhere.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In 1559 (Amyot) it meant “to land and attack”, whence later ''descendre dans la rue'' “to demonstrate”, ''descendre'' “to go south” is recorded in 1823.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ “To be descended from” is in Benoît de Sainte-Maure (1154–1173), and ''descendant'' about 1260, ''descendre'' “to sink in rank” is in Corneille (1665), and in music “to pass from high to low” (1754).^(TLFi) Transitive uses go back to Chrétien de Troyes (about 1177, “to unhorse someone”); in familiar French ''descendre quelqu'un'' is to shoot someone down.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Dessend'' in the ''Passion'' of Clermont.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – “To go down” and “to dismount”, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1154–1173 – “To be descended from”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1283 – ''Descendance'', in Beaumanoir.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1304 – ''Descente''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1559 – “To land in force”, in Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1665 – “To sink in rank”, in Corneille.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To go or come down, [[m|en|descend]]: ''descendre l'escalier'', ''descendre d'un arbre''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To get off or out: ''descendre du train''; to stay at: ''descendre à l'hôtel''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To go south: ''descendre à Marseille''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # To be descended from: ''descendre d'une famille noble''.^(TLFi)

+ # To fall, go down in level, value or pitch.^(TLFi)

+ # To take or bring down: ''descendre une valise'', ''(familiar)'' to shoot down, kill; to drink up.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Descendre dans la rue'': to take to the streets.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[descendance]]

+ * [[descente]]

+ * [[redescendre]]

+ * [[descendant]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[descendeur]]

+ * [[ascendre]]

+ * [[scander]]

+ * [[condescendre]]

+ * [[la|dēscendō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}