English
posé
Posé comes from French posé ‘placed, posed’, from poser ‘to ask or pose (a question)’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek παύω ‘to make an end of, stop, abate’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαύωpaúō‘to make an end of, stop, abate’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπαῦσιςpaûsis‘stopping, ceasing’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpausa‘a pause, halt, stop, cessation, end’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEpausōas pausāre‘to halt, cease, pause’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400poser‘to put’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘to ask or pose (a question)’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentposé‘placed, posed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαύωpaúō‘to make an end of, stop, abate’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπαῦσιςpaûsis‘stopping, ceasing’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpausa‘a pause, halt, stop, cessation, end’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEpausōas pausāre‘to halt, cease, pause’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400poser‘to put’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘to ask or pose (a question)’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentposé‘placed, posed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897same form
Earliest quotation: 1897, Perversions of Delsarte: “This perversion illustrates a tendency on the part of…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- ‘few, little’
few, poor, fewer, puppy, pupil, puppet, pediatrics, pave, filly, pedagogy, paucity, pupa, orthopedics, puerile, 27 more
through Ancient Greek παύω ‘to make an end of, stop, abate’
through Ancient Greek παῦσις ‘stopping, ceasing’
through Latin pausa ‘a pause, halt, stop, cessation, end’
through Vulgar Latin pausō ‘to halt, cease, pause’
through Old French poser ‘to put’
Today it means
adj Held in position for a prolonged period.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek παύω / posé