fort French · revision 17446

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɔːʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /fɔʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fort''' (feminine forte, masculine plural forts, feminine plural fortes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Until the 14th century ''fort'' served for both genders, as Latin ''fortis'' did, ''se faire fort de'' keeps this.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|fort]], [[inh|la|fortis|t=strong, sturdy; brave]], a word of uncertain origin, Wiktionary mentions Old Latin “forctis”.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 732b)^(Wiktionary) The adverb (early 12th century) and the noun (about 1170) are uses of the adjective.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|forte]], [[oc|fort]], [[es|fuerte]] and [[pt|forte]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found at the end of the 10th century in the ''Passion'' of Clermont, of a sharp feeling, ''fort marremens'' “deep sorrow”; the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''un fort espiet'' “a sturdy spear”, ''forz freiz'' “bitter cold” and a battle ''fort a suffrir'' “hard to endure”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' it also describes physical strength (''Rollant'', about 1100); about 1265 Brunetto Latini uses it for moral fortitude, and Wace (1160–1174) for a fortified city, whence the noun ''fort'', a stronghold (mid-13th century).^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Of wine it is found about 1220, and the sense “excessive” appears at the end of the 14th century, in ''c'est un peu fort'' (''c'est fort'', 1692) and the familiar ''c'est fort de café''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The intellectual sense “able, clever” dates from 1659 (Molière's ''Précieuses ridicules''), whence ''être fort en'' and ''ce n'est pas mon fort'' (1648); ''le sexe fort'' is recorded in 1762.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) As a noun ''un fort'' also meant a porter (1690), as the ''forts des Halles'' (1732).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) The adverb ''fort'' “very” is now rather formal or literary, beside ''très''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 1100 – “Sturdy”, “hard”, “strong” in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * Early 12th century – The adverb.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1160–1174 – A fortified city, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * Mid-13th century – The noun ''fort'', a stronghold.^(TLFi)

+ * 1306 – “Well-founded, convincing”, in Joinville.^(TLFi)

+ * 1648 – ''Ce n'est pas mon fort''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1659 – “Clever, able”, in Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1732 – ''Forts de la Halle''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|strong]], physically powerful: ''fort comme un Turc''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Powerful, mighty; resolute: ''un pays fort'', ''une âme forte''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Good at something, [[m|en|skilled]]: ''être fort en maths''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # [[m|en|intense]], marked: ''une forte fièvre'', ''un café fort''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Large in size or amount; stout: ''une forte somme''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Excessive, hard to believe: ''c'est un peu fort''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Se faire fort de'': to be confident one can.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # With strength or intensity: ''frapper fort'', ''parler fort''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(formal)'' Very, greatly: ''fort bien''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|fort]], a fortified work.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A strong or powerful person: ''la loi du plus fort''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # One's strong point: ''ce n'est pas mon fort''.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(historical)'' A porter at the Paris market: ''fort des Halles''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[main-forte]]

+ * [[forteresse]]

+ * [[contrefort]]

+ * [[fortin]]

+ * [[fortement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[force]]

+ * [[fortifier]]

+ * [[renforcer]]

+ * [[la|fortis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}