principal French · revision 17528

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=la prīnceps}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁɛ̃.si.pal/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''principal''' (feminine principale, masculine plural principaux, feminine plural principales)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|prīncipālis|t=original; chief, foremost; of the emperor]], from [[m|la|prīnceps|t=first; chief; emperor]] (see [[prince]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|9, 391a) Old French also had a form [[m|fro|principel]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) a Saracen strikes Naimes ''en l'elme principal'', where it seems to mean “princely”; the TLFi notes that editors do not agree.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ If that is its sense, it was an isolated one: from Philippe de Thaon (1119) it means “most important, foremost”, of things, and of persons from about 1175.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) As a noun it meant an influential person (about 1175) and a military leader (about 1210); ''principal de collège'', the head of a school, is in Estienne (1549).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In law ''le principal'' is the main object of a claim (Beaumanoir, 1283) and the capital of a debt as against its interest (1323).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The grammatical ''proposition principale'' dates from the ''Encyclopédie'' (1765), and Condillac (1775) uses ''la principale'' alone.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1119 – “Most important”, in Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1175 – An influential person, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1283 – The main object of a legal action, in Beaumanoir.^(TLFi)

+ * 1323 – The capital of a debt.^(TLFi)

+ * 1549 – ''Principal de collège''.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1765 – ''Proposition principale''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|main|alt=Main]], chief, [[m|en|principal]]: ''la raison principale'', ''le rôle principal''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Résidence principale'': one's main home, as opposed to a second home.^(Le Robert)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(grammar)'' ''Proposition principale'': the [[m|en|main clause]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Le principal'': the main thing: ''le principal est que tout se passe bien''.^(Larousse)

+ # The head of a ''collège'' (a lower secondary school).^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(finance, law)'' The capital of a debt, as opposed to the interest.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The head clerk of a notary's or solicitor's office.^(Larousse)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(grammar)'' ''La principale'': the main clause.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[principalement]]

+ * [[principalat]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prince]]

+ * [[principauté]]

+ * [[principe]]

+ * [[la|prīncipālis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}