franchir French · revision 17619

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1170, Béroul, Tristan|origins=frk *frank}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fʁɑ̃.ʃiʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''franchir'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|franc|-ir|t1=free]].^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The adjective comes from the name of the Franks, from [[frk|*frank]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|15/2, 163b) Compare [[pro|franquir]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ The original sense was “to set free”; the modern sense comes from “to free oneself of, get clear of”, hence “to get past an obstacle”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) Bloch and Wartburg and the Grand Robert compare the use of [[la|līberō|t=to free]] for crossing a threshold or a river freely.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 1170, in Béroul's ''Tristan'', it means to set free; the same years give ''franchir qqc. à qqn'', to grant something as a free possession.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “to free, enfranchise” was usual until the 15th century, also in Anglo-Norman, where it meant to grant someone a franchise.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(AND) One could ''franchir une rente'', redeem it and so rid oneself of it;^(Littré 1873) Littré sees in this the passage to ''franchir un fossé'', to get rid of a ditch by jumping it, one of the rare cases of an abstract sense turning concrete.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ The sense “to pass over an obstacle by jumping or climbing” appears in ''Perceforest'' (first half of the 14th century), and “to go beyond a limit” in Montaigne (1580).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) ''Franchir le pas'' is recorded before 1615, and ''franchir le Rubicon'', after Caesar, in 1872.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) In sailors' language ''franchir une pompe'' means to pump out all the water.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989) Derivatives include [[affranchir]] (13th century) and [[infranchissable]] (1792).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1170 – Béroul: “to set free”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1245 – ''Franchir qqn de qqc.'', to free someone of a charge.^(TLFi)

+ * 14th century – ''Perceforest'': to jump over an obstacle.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1580 – Montaigne: to go beyond a limit.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * Before 1615 – ''Franchir le pas''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1690 – Furetière: ''franchir l'eau'', of pumping a ship dry.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1792 – ''Infranchissable''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To pass over (an obstacle) by jumping or climbing; to [[m|en|clear]]: ''franchir une barrière''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|cross]] (a line, a river, a border); of a bridge, to span.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To cover (a distance) or get through (a period of time).^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To [[m|en|overcome]] (a difficulty): ''franchir les barrières sociales''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Franchir le pas'': to take the decisive step, ''franchir le Rubicon'': to make an irrevocable decision.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(nautical)'' ''Franchir une pompe'': to pump out all the water.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' To set free.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[affranchir]]

+ * [[franchissement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[franc]]

+ * [[franchise]]

+ * [[frk|*frank]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}