aise French · revision 17610

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=11th century, Rashi|origins=la iaceō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛz/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aise''' ''f'' (plural aises)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''aise'', ''eise'', and a longer form ''aaise'' (''eese'', ''ahaise'').^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It probably continues [[inh|la-vul|*adiacēns]], the present participle of [[la|adiaceō|t=to lie near]] used as a noun, “what lies nearby”, from [[m|la|ad-]] and [[m|la|iaceō|t=to lie]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary) Latin [[m|la|adiacentia]] meant “surroundings” in Tacitus, and Medieval Latin texts of the Massif Central use the participle for a territorial dependency, and [[m|la-med|in aiace]] meant “in the neighbourhood” (9th century).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The same word gave [[pro|aize]], from which [[it|agio]] and [[pt|azo]] were borrowed.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) Littré thought of a Germanic or Celtic root and compared [[en|ease]], which English took from French.^(Littré 1873)^(AND)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Rashi's glosses (11th century) have it, in Judeo-French, for the empty space beside someone.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old French also used it for a dwelling (about 1190), a right of use (1258) and an opportunity (''aveir aise de''), senses that disappeared in the 15th and 16th centuries;^(DHLF 1992) ''a aise'' meant “near” until the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992) The psychological sense, comfort, the absence of constraint, appears about 1130 (''Énéas''), passing from the idea of space available beside one to that of convenience and pleasure;^(DHLF 1992) Chrétien de Troyes has ''a eise'' “comfortably” (1170).^(DHLF 1992) Villehardouin writes ''furent li nostre mout à aise'', “our men were very comfortable”.^(Littré 1873) The adjective, ''bien aise'', glad, came from the phrase ''a aise'' in the 12th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) ''Prendre ses aises'' appears in the 15th century (Alain Chartier).^(Littré 1873) Féraud noted in 1787 that its gender was uncertain in the singular.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 11th century – “Space beside someone”, in Rashi.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1130 – Comfort, in ''Énéas''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1170 – ''A eise'', in Chrétien de Troyes.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 12th century – The adjective ''aise'' “glad”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * 15th century – ''Prendre ses aises''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * 1490 – ''À bel aise''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(literary)'' Contentment, joy: ''rougir d'aise'', ''tressaillir d'aise''.^(Larousse)^(Littré 1873)

+ # The state of someone who is not hampered: ''être à l'aise'', ''à son aise'', comfortable, at ease, ''mal à l'aise'', uneasy, ''se mettre à l'aise''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Être à l'aise'': to be well off.^(Larousse)

+ # ''(in the plural)'' Comforts: ''prendre ses aises''.^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''À l'aise'', ''à votre aise'': easily; as you like, ''en prendre à son aise'', to do as one pleases.^(Larousse)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(literary, with an intensifier)'' [[m|en|glad|alt=Glad]]: ''je suis bien aise de ce résultat''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aisé]]

+ * [[aisément]]

+ * [[aisance]]

+ * [[malaise]]

+ * [[malaisé]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[adjacent]]

+ * [[en|ease]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}