millier French · revision 17660

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mi.lje/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''millier''' ''m'' (plural milliers)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|mille|-ier]], or perhaps continues a Latin [[m|la|mīliārius]], found in inscriptions as a noun meaning “a thousand” instead of the classical [[la|mīliārium]], neuter of the adjective [[m|la|mīliārius|t=containing a thousand]].^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|6/2, 90a) Littré derives it from the Latin noun, and notes that Old French also had [[m|fro|milie]], from the plural [[m|la|mīlia]], with the same sense.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|migliaio]], [[pro|milhar]], [[es|millar]] and [[pt|milheiro]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) ''quinze milliers'' means fifteen thousand men: ''De dulce France i ad quinze milliers''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Old French phrase ''à milliers'' (Chanson de Roland) gave way to ''par milliers'', in great numbers (1530, Palsgrave), and the plural ''des milliers'' for a large indefinite number is found in Agrippa d'Aubigné (late 16th century).^(GLLF 1989) The word also named a thousand of a measure or weight, and in Anglo-Norman a body of a thousand soldiers.^(AND) La Noue writes of ''deux cens milliers de poudre'' in the 16th century.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – In the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1121–25 – In Anglo-Norman.^(AND)

+ * 1530 – Palsgrave: ''par milliers''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * Late 16th century – ''Des milliers'' in d'Aubigné.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|thousand]], or about a thousand: ''un millier de personnes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Des milliers'': a great indefinite number: ''des milliers d'années''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Par milliers'': in great numbers.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mille]]

+ * [[milliard]]

+ * [[million]]

+ * [[la|mīliārium]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}