censé French · revision 38644

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1611, Cotgrave|origins=la cēnseō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sɑ̃.se/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''censé''' (feminine censée, masculine plural censés, feminine plural censées)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Used as an adjective, it is the past participle [[der|frm|censer|t=to think, reckon; to censure, reform]], a verb borrowed from [[la|cēnseō|t=to assess property and rank; to estimate, judge]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|2, 579a) Bloch and Wartburg call it a participle made on the Latin verb.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The Latin word belongs with [[m|la|cēnsus]], the source of [[cens]];^(DHLF 1992) Rey traces it to an Indo-European root [[ine-pro|*kens-|t=to proclaim solemnly]].^(DHLF 1992)

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+ The old verb is found in Brantôme in the sense “to declare, deem”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Cotgrave records it in 1611 in the sense “classed, ranked, reckoned, valued”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Censé'' is the only part of the old verb ''censer'' still in use.^(DHLF 1992) It first meant “classed, counted among” (1611), a sense still found in Saint-Simon, and, from 1690 (Furetière) “considered, deemed”, followed by an infinitive or an adjective.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The legal maxim ''nul n'est censé ignorer la loi'' “ignorance of the law is no excuse” keeps this use.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

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+ The adverb [[censément]] “supposedly” is recorded in 1852 (Rey) or 1863 (Bloch and Wartburg), and was widespread in popular speech.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 16th century – Brantôme uses the verb ''censer''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – Cotgrave records ''censé'' “classed, reckoned”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – Furetière records the sense “deemed, supposed”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1852 – The adverb ''censément''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|supposed|alt=Supposed]], deemed (followed by an infinitive): ''elle est censée arriver demain'', ''je ne suis pas censé le dire''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Nul n'est censé ignorer la loi'': ignorance of the law is no excuse.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(classical)'' Classed, counted among.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[censément]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cens]]

+ * [[censure]]

+ * [[recenser]]

+ * [[la|cēnseō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Censé'' is pronounced like [[sensé|t=sensible]], which is unrelated.^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}