parfaire French · revision 17655

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1119, Philippe de Thaon, Comput|origins=la faciō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /paʁ.fɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''parfaire'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|perficiō|t=to do thoroughly, finish, complete]], remodelled after [[faire]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) The Latin verb is formed from [[m|la|per-|t=through, thoroughly]] and [[m|la|faciō|t=to do, make]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Wiktionary and Littré analyse the verb as [[af|fr|par-|faire]].^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873) Compare [[pro|perfaire]] and [[pt|perfazer]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Philippe de Thaon's ''Comput'' (1119) it means to complete something, such as a reckoning or a sum.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The first sense, to make up a sum or an account, is now archaic, but survives in bookbinding, where it means to add the missing leaves to a book (1694).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Today it mainly means, like [[achever]], to bring a process already under way to its end (Gaimar, about 1140), often with the idea of perfection.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) By weakening it came to mean to improve (about 1360), and ''se parfaire'' to perfect oneself (about 1370).^(DHLF 1992) The adjective [[parfait]] continues the Latin participle ''perfectus'', remodelled after this verb.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1119 – “To complete (a sum)”, in Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1140 – “To finish”, in Gaimar.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1360 – “To improve”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1443 – ''Oevre faicte et parfaicte''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1694 – The Académie: to complete a book with its missing leaves.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(literary)'' To finish so as to bring to [[m|en|perfection]]; to [[m|en|perfect]]: ''parfaire son ouvrage'', ''parfaire ses connaissances''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated)'' To make up, complete (a sum, a payment).^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(bookbinding)'' To complete (a book) with its missing leaves.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[parfait]]

+ * [[imparfait]]

+ * [[faire]]

+ * [[la|perficiō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}