utile French · revision 17666

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1260|origins=la ūtor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /y.til/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''utile''' (plural utiles)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|utele]] (about 1120), [[m|fro|utle]] (late 12th century); ''utile'' from 1260.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a semi-learned borrowing, [[bor|la|ūtilis|t=useful, advantageous]], derived from [[m|la|ūtor|t=to use]], the source of [[user]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|14, 89b) Littré notes that [[m|fro|utle]], with the stress of the Latin on the first syllable, was the correct old form and that the modern form was remade on the Latin.^(Littré 1873) Cognate with [[pro|util]], [[es|útil]] and [[it|utile]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Livre des Rois'' David is called ''utle e profitable à mun os''; the form ''utile'' appears in a charter of 1260, of what is advantageous to someone.^(Littré 1873)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Rather rare in Old French, the word first described what serves a purpose or can be of advantage.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) In law it qualified land of which one has the usufruct (1507) and, in ''seigneur utile'' (1508), the lord who drew its revenue; both are now obsolete.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The basic sense of practical advantage became common in classical French.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ From 1637 (Descartes) it was applied to people, as in ''se rendre utile''; the noun ''l'utile'' is in d'Aubigné (1616).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) In law ''jours utiles'' (1718) are the days during which a step can still be taken, whence ''en temps utile'' (1835).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The adverbial ''voter utile'', to vote tactically, appears in the mid-20th century.^(DHLF 1992) The verb [[utiliser]] dates from 1792.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1120 – ''Utele'' in the Oxford Psalter.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1260 – ''Utile'' in a Liège charter.^(TLFi)

+ * 1508 – ''Seigneur utile''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1616 – The noun ''l'utile'' in d'Aubigné.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1637 – Descartes: of a person.^(TLFi)

+ * 1792 – The verb ''utiliser''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1835 – ''En temps utile''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|useful|alt=Useful]], serving a need, advantageous: ''d'utiles conseils'', ''il est utile de…''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a person, helpful: ''se rendre utile''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''En temps utile'': in good time, within the time allowed.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(familiar, adverb)'' ''Voter utile'': to vote tactically.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''L'utile'': what is useful: ''joindre l'utile à l'agréable''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[utiliser]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[user]]

+ * [[utilité]]

+ * [[inutile]]

+ * [[la|ūtilis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}