etymology – etymon (2) ‘branch of linguistics that studies the origin and the history of...
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Etymology – etymon
(2) ‘Branch of linguistics that studies the origin and the history of vocables’
Historicalor diachronic
lexicology
Etymology?
(1) ‘Origin and history of a vocable (= grouping of lexical units[= lexemes or idioms])’
Etymon?
‘Linguistic sign (lexeme or affix)from which descended a given linguistic sign’
Etymological classes (1) Inherited lexicon
(3) Internal creations
(2) Borrowings (= loan words)
= normally transmitted lexical units(from the common ancestorof the language family)
= lexicals units which were taken from another language
= new lexical units constructedfrom existing materialsin the same language
Etymon: inherited lexicon
Proto-Germanic *fader
Engl. father Germ. Vater Dutch vader a. s. o.
Etymon
= Common ancestor of a cognate set
Etymon: borrowings
Etymon
= Borrowed lexical unit (of the donour langage)
Engl. dessert < French dessert
Etymon: internal creationsEtymaIt depends...
(1) Derivation:type of word-formation in which new lexemes are created by adding affixes to existing lexemesExample: (TO) WASH + -ABLE > WASHABLE
(2) Compounding:type of word-formation in which new lexemes are created by joining two or more lexemesExample: (TO) SCARE + CROW > SCARECROW
Idioms and collocations?
Idioms:Should their etyma be phrases?
Clearly, this is a blind spot of etymological theory and practice!
Collocations:As collocations are not linguistic signs, they do not have etymologies (nor etyma)However, we should try to identify their source
Example: Fr. poser un lapin poser un lapin [à qqn]
lit. « to plant a rabbit [on somebody] »
‘to stand [somebody] up’
Idiom or collocation?
TLF: idiom (« Expr. »)
poser des lapins ‘to be in the habit of standing [somebody] up’
ne me pose pas de lapin! ‘do not stand me up !’
Collocation!
Diachronic perspective?
LAPIN1 ‘rabbit’ (since ca 1450)
monter en lapin ‘to ride a coach sitting next to the coachman (where no passengers are supposed to sit), so as to travel as a passenger in overload’ (1809–1897)
More of the same voyager en lapin ‘to travel [riding a coach]
sitting next to the coachman as a passenger in overload’ (1828–1858)
EN LAPIN ‘sitting next to the coachman (where no passengers are supposed to sit), so as to travel as a passenger in overload’ (1897)
LAPIN2 ‘passenger in overload in a coach, who sits next to the coachman (where no passengers are supposed to sit)’ (1873–1922)
Towards ‘illicite behaviour’ FAIRE CADEAU D’UN LAPIN [à qqn]
‘to omit to pay [a prostitute]’ (1878) POSER UN LAPIN [à qqn] ‘to
omit to pay [a prostitute]’ (1881)
LAPIN3 ‘fact of not fulfilling a duty [toward somebody]’ (postulated)
poser un lapin [à qqn] ‘to fail to meet somebody’s duties’ (1896)
poser un lapin [à qqn] ‘to leave without paying somebody’s due’ (1896)
poser un de ces lapins ‘to fail clearly to meet somebody’s duties’ (1888)
Other ‘illicite behaviour’
poser un lapin [à qqn] ‘to stand [somebody] up’ (since 1896)
LAPIN4 ‘appointment at which one does not show up’ (since 2003)