occuper French · revision 17430

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1180|origins=la capiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɔ.ky.pe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''occuper'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|occupō|t=to seize first; to take possession of]], taken over about 1180; the Latin verb is formed from [[m|la|ob-|t=before]] and [[m|la|capiō|t=to take]] (see [[capter]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|7, 300b) In Latin it meant “to take before others”, hence “to forestall” and “to seize”; in the passive, “to be taken up by”.^(DHLF 1992) Old French also used it in law for “to seize, accuse” someone.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[oc|occupar]], [[es|ocupar]] and [[it|occupare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1180–1200 in the passive ''estre occupé à'' “to be busy with, spend one's time on”, in the ''Dialogues'' of Gregory.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The reflexive ''s'occuper à'' appears about 1330, ''occuper quelqu'un à'' “to employ” in 1360–1404, and ''occupé'' “busy” in 1538.^(TLFi) The concrete senses followed: “to take a place by force” (1306), “to take possession of a property” (1355), “to fill a space” (1314), “to live in” (1530) and “to hold (a post)” (1530).^(TLFi)

+

+ In the 17th century ''s'occuper'' meant to fill one's time (Racine, 1677), and ''s'occuper de'' appeared in 1680; at the end of the 18th century it took the shade “to worry about”, largely taken over by ''se préoccuper'', and it now means above all “to take care of, deal with”.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1180 – ''Estre occupé à''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ * 1306 – Military occupation of a place.^(TLFi)

+ * 1314 – “To fill (a space)”, in Henri de Mondeville.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1330 – ''S'occuper à''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1530 – “To live in” and “to hold (a post)”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1677 – ''S'occuper'' in Racine's ''Phèdre''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1680 – ''S'occuper de''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To take possession of, [[m|en|occupy]] a place: ''occuper un pays'', ''occuper l'usine''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To fill, [[m|en|take up]] space or time: ''son atelier occupe la cave''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To live in: ''occuper un appartement''; to hold a post.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # To keep busy, [[m|en|employ]]: ''occuper les enfants''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''S'occuper'': to keep oneself busy, ''s'occuper de'': to take care of, deal with.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[occupé]]

+ * [[inoccupé]]

+ * [[réoccuper]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[occupation]]

+ * [[préoccuper]]

+ * [[capter]]

+ * [[la|occupō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}