sourire French · revision 17425

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1130 (sozrire)|origins=la rīdeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /su.ʁiʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sourire'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''sozrire'' (about 1130), ''sorrire'' and ''surrire'' (12th century), remade as ''sourire'' with the prefix ''sous-'' (about 1175); Middle French ''soubrire''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|sorrire]], [[inh|la-vul|*subrīdō|alt=*subrīdere]], with a short ⟨e⟩, an altered form of classical [[m|la|subrīdeō|t=to smile]], formed from [[m|la|sub-|t=under]], marking a lessened action, and [[m|la|rīdeō|t=to laugh]] (see [[rire]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|12, 350a)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|sorridere]], [[es|sonreír]] and [[pt|sorrir]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1130–1140, in the ''Voyage de Charlemagne'': ''l'uns a l'altre surrist'' “they smiled at each other”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 13th century ''sourire à quelqu'un'' meant to show affection, sympathy or courtesy by a smile.^(DHLF 1992) The Old French ''se sourire de'' “to mock” (about 1175) died out, but the sense returned in ''sourire'' “to be ironic” (1636), ''sourire de'' “to be amused by” (before 1778) and ''faire sourire'' (1843).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) About 1390 it was said of water that ripples.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ From 1675 it is said of the face, the mouth and the eyes; with a thing as subject it means “to be bright, radiant” (before 1613, literary) and ''sourire à quelqu'un'' “to be favourable to” (1745: ''l'avenir lui sourit'').^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The infinitive used as a noun, ''un sourire'', is found in the 12th century, written ''sourir'' in 1454; until the 19th century French also said ''un souris''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1130 – ''Sozrire''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1140 – ''Surrist'' in the ''Voyage de Charlemagne''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1175 – The form ''sourire''; the noun ''sourire''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1636 – “To mock gently”, in Mairet.^(TLFi)

+ * 1742 – Reciprocal ''se sourire'', in Crébillon fils.^(TLFi)

+ * 1745 – ''L'avenir lui sourit''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1871 – ''Souriant''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|smile]]: ''sourire à quelqu'un''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Sourire de'': to be amused by, smile at.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Of a thing, ''sourire à quelqu'un'': to appeal to; to favour: ''la chance lui sourit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(literary)'' To be bright, radiant: ''l'automne souriait''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A smile: ''avoir le sourire'', ''garder le sourire''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[souriant]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rire]]

+ * [[souris]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}