place French · revision 17475

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=grc πλατύς}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /plas/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''place''' ''f'' (plural places)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|place]], [[inh|la-vul|*plattea]], with a doubled “t” probably under the influence of [[m|la-vul|*plattus|t=flat]], from [[la|platea|t=broad street; public square]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|9, 37a)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word was an early borrowing, [[bor|grc|πλατεῖα|tr=plateîa|t=broad street]], the feminine of [[m|grc|πλατύς|tr=platús|t=broad, flat]], an Indo-European word for breadth.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|piazza]], [[oc|plaça]], [[es|plaza]] and [[pt|praça]].^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 1100 the ''Chanson de Roland'' uses it for the place where something happens, the battlefield, and in ''en la place'' “on the spot, on the ground”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Also in the ''Roland'' it meant a definite part of a space where something can be put or someone can stand, a sense behind ''faire place à'' (about 1260), ''prendre place'' (1377), ''à la place de'' and ''ne pas tenir en place'' (1705).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) About 1200 it named an open public square in a town, ''place publique'' (1370–72).^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005) In 1306 it was a lodging for troops, and in 1530 a seat for one person, now usual in theatres and transport.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ A fortified town is a ''place forte'' (1417); Villon has ''tant bat on place qu'elle est prise''.^(TLFi) About 1485 it meant a rank, and, from 1515 a post or job.^(TLFi)^(BHVF) In commerce ''la place'' is the body of merchants and bankers of a town (1694).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Rey notes that English ''place'', of the same origin, kept the general sense of “spot” that French gave up to ''endroit'' and ''lieu''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Place'' and ''en la place'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1200 – A public square, in ''Aiol''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1306 – Lodging for troops, in Joinville.^(TLFi)

+ * 1417 – ''Places fortes''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1515 – A post or job.^(BHVF)

+ * 1530 – A seat for one person.^(TLFi)

+ * 1564 – The verb ''placer''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1694 – ''La place'', the merchants of a town.^(TLFi)

+ * 1774 – ''Sur place'' in Diderot.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|square]], [[m|en|plaza]]: ''la place du village''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # Room, space: ''prendre de la place'', ''faire de la place''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The proper place of something or someone: ''remettre à sa place''.^(Larousse)

+ # A [[m|en|seat]]: ''une place assise'', ''réserver une place''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # A position, job; a rank in a classification: ''première place''.^(TLFi)^(Larousse)

+ # ''Place forte'': a fortified town.^(Le Robert)^(TLFi)

+ # ''À la place de'': instead of, ''sur place'': on the spot.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(finance)'' A financial or commercial centre: ''la place de Paris''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[déplacer]]

+ * [[monoplace]]

+ * [[placement]]

+ * [[placer]]

+ * [[placette]]

+ * [[placier]]

+ * [[remplacer]]

+ * [[surplace]]

+ * [[emplacement]]

+ * [[replacer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[plat]]

+ * [[la|platea]]

+ * [[en|place]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}