supérieur French · revision 17507

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1160, Benoît de Sainte-Maure|origins=la super}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sy.pe.ʁjœʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''supérieur''' (feminine supérieure, masculine plural supérieurs, feminine plural supérieures)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|superior]] (about 1160), [[m|fro|supereor]] (1195), [[m|fro|superiour]];^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) ''supérieur'' from 1530.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|superior|t=higher; earlier; stronger, superior]], remade in 1530 from the Old French form.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|12, 441b) The Latin word is the comparative of [[m|la|superus|t=that is above]], from [[m|la|super|t=above, over]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Benoît de Sainte-Maure's ''Roman de Troie'' (about 1165) speaks of ''Inde la superior'', Upper India;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Alexandre de Paris has ''ciel superior'' (1180–1190).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 16th century the sense “situated above” was used in astronomy (''planètes supérieures'', 1562) and anatomy (''membres supérieurs'', 1564).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) The idea of value appears in 1543, and ''supérieur à'' “better than” in Montaigne (1588); without a complement it was said of a remarkable person in 1694.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From the 1845 Bescherelle it also qualified a higher level of a classification (''animaux supérieurs'') and ''l'enseignement supérieur''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Zola has the psychological sense “showing a feeling of superiority” in 1887.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ As a noun, ''superieux'' (1482) were the people in authority;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Corneille has the head of a monastery in 1656, as in ''la mère supérieure''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The ''lac Supérieur'' is Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1165 – ''Inde la superior'', in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1482 – ''Les superieux'', people in authority.^(TLFi)

+ * 1530 – The form ''supérieur''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1564 – ''Membres supérieurs''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1588 – ''Supérieur à'', of what surpasses, in Montaigne.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1656 – The superior of a monastery, in Corneille.^(TLFi)

+ * 1845 – ''Enseignement supérieur''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1887 – “Condescending”, in Zola.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|upper|alt=Upper]], higher; situated above: ''les étages supérieurs'', ''la lèvre supérieure''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # Of a river, nearer its source: ''le cours supérieur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Supérieur à'': better than, greater than, above.^(Le Robert)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Of higher rank: ''officier supérieur'', ''cadre supérieur''; of a higher level: ''enseignement supérieur''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Outstanding, of great merit: ''un esprit supérieur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(of a manner)'' [[m|en|condescending|alt=Condescending]], showing a sense of superiority: ''un air supérieur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' ''Supérieur ou égal'': greater than or equal to.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|superior]], a person who has authority over others.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The head of a religious community: ''la mère supérieure''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Le supérieur'': [[m|en|higher education]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[supérieurement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[supériorité]]

+ * [[suprême]]

+ * [[souverain]]

+ * [[inférieur]]

+ * [[la|superior]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}