écouter French · revision 17479

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 9th century, Séquence de sainte Eulalie (eskoltet)|origins=la auscultō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /e.ku.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''écouter'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''eskolter'' (late 9th century), ''escolter'' (10th century), ''escouter'' (12th century); ''écouter'' from the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|escouter]], [[inh|la-lat|ascultō]], a popular form of [[la|auscultō|t=to listen attentively; to obey]], with the common prefix “es-” substituted for “as-”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|25, 1057a)^(Wiktionary) The grammarian Caper (2nd century) warned against pronouncing it “ascultare”, which shows the popular form.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) The Latin verb belongs to the family of [[m|la|auris|t=ear]].^(DHLF 1992) Its learned doublet is [[ausculter]].^(Wiktionary)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ The older type “acouter” survives in northern and north-eastern dialects.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873) Cognate with [[it|ascoltare]], [[ca|escoltar]], [[es|escuchar]] and [[pt|escutar]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ At the end of the 9th century the ''Séquence de sainte Eulalie'' says of the saint: ''Elle no'nt eskoltet les mals conselliers'' “she did not listen to the evil counsellors”, that is, did not heed them.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the start it meant both “to listen to” and “to give a favourable hearing to, heed”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) At the end of the 12th century it also meant “to give way to a feeling”, as in ''n'écouter que son courage'', Malherbe has ''sans jamais écouter ni pitié ni clémence'' (1628).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ''S'écouter parler'' is in Du Bellay (1558), and in the 17th century ''s'écouter'' came to mean “to pay too much attention to one's health”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Écouter aux portes'' dates from 1727.^(TLFi) In Canada ''écouter'' is used for watching a film or television.^(Wiktionary) The noun [[écoute]] dates from the 12th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 9th century – ''Eskoltet'' in the ''Séquence de sainte Eulalie''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Messe et matines a li reis esculté'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * 12th century – The form ''escouter''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1389 – ''Escoutant'', a listener.^(TLFi)

+ * 1558 – ''S'escouter parler'' in Du Bellay.^(TLFi)

+ * 1628 – “To be guided by a feeling”, in Malherbe.^(TLFi)

+ * 1727 – ''Écouter aux portes''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|listen]] to: ''écouter la radio'', ''écouter de la musique''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(absolute)'' To listen: ''savoir écouter'', ''écoutez !''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # To pay attention to, take account of: ''écouter ses conseils''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To [[m|en|heed]], obey; to give way to: ''n'écouter que son courage''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''S'écouter'': to coddle oneself, ''s'écouter parler'', to love the sound of one's own voice.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(Canada)'' To watch (a film, television).^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[écoute]]

+ * [[écoute-s'il-pleut]]

+ * [[écouteur]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ausculter]]

+ * [[oreille]]

+ * [[entendre]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}