étroit French · revision 17570

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /e.tʁwa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''étroit''' (feminine étroite, masculine plural étroits, feminine plural étroites)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|estreiz]] (1080), [[m|fro|estreit]] (about 1155), then [[m|fro|estroit]] (about 1175, Chrétien de Troyes); ''étroit'' from 1636 (Monet).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|estreit]], [[inh|la|strictus|t=drawn tight, narrow; concise; strict]], the past participle of [[m|la|stringō|t=to draw tight]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The form with ⟨oi⟩ replaced the earlier one with ⟨ei⟩ in the 13th century.^(DHLF 1992) It is a doublet of [[strict]], borrowed from the same Latin word.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992) Cognate with [[oc|estreit]], [[es|estrecho]], [[pt|estreito]] and [[it|stretto]].^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''si chevalchent estreiz'', “they ride in close ranks”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Wace has it about 1155 for what has little width, the sense that became the main one.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) About 1165 Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses it for “close, intimate”, as in modern ''rapports étroits''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''A l'estroit'', in too small a space, is in the ''Roman de Renart'' about 1205.^(TLFi) From the 13th century it also meant “strict, rigorous” (''un étroit devoir''), hence ''le sens étroit'' of a word (1690).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Guiot de Provins uses it for meanness, and it also describes a narrow mind (''esprit étroit'').^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) ''La voie étroite'', the narrow path of salvation, comes from the Gospel.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1155 – “Narrow”, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1165 – “Intimate”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1205 – ''A l'estroit'' in the ''Roman de Renart''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1636 – The spelling ''étroit'', in Monet.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1690 – ''Sens étroit'', the strict sense of a word.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|narrow|alt=Narrow]], having little width: ''une rue étroite'', ''un ruban étroit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Small in extent, cramped: ''une étroite prison'', ''à l'étroit'', in too small a space.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Narrow-minded, [[m|en|intolerant]]: ''un esprit étroit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Close, [[m|en|intimate]]: ''des rapports étroits''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Strict, rigorous; of a word, taken in its narrow sense: ''au sens étroit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''La voie étroite'', ''la porte étroite'': the path of salvation, a life of self-denial.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[étroitement]]

+ * [[étroitesse]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[strict]]

+ * [[étreindre]]

+ * [[étrécir]]

+ * [[rétrécir]]

+ * [[la|strictus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}