entreprendre

From Middle French, from Old French entreprendre (“to begin something, undertake”). Synchronically analysable as entre +‎ prendre.

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.tʁə.pʁɑ̃dʁ/

• audio

  (file)

entreprendre

1. to undertake

This verb is conjugated on the model of prendre. That means it is quite irregular, with the following patterns:

• In the infinitive, in the singular forms of the present indicative, and in the future and the conditional, it is conjugated like rendre, perdre, etc. (sometimes called the regular -re verbs).
• In the plural forms of the present indicative and imperative, in the imperfect indicative, in the present subjunctive, and in the present participle, it is conjugated like appeler or jeter, using the stem entreprenn- before mute ‘e’ and the stem entrepren- elsewhere.
• In the past participle, and in the past historic and the imperfect subjunctive, its conjugation resembles that of mettre.

• “entreprendre” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

entreprendre

1. to undertake
   • 1552, François Rabelais, Le Tiers Livre:

     Quand les Geantz entreprindrent guerre contre les Dieux

     When the Giants took up war against the Gods

   • 1595, Michel de Montaigne, Essais:

     Il vous siera bien, leur dit-il, de vouloir entreprendre de juger de la teste de celuy, par le moyen duquel vous avez l'authorité de juger de tout le monde.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

From entre +‎ prendre, by calque of Frankish *underneman (“to undertake”), from *under (“between, among”) + *neman (“to take”). Compare Old High German untarneman (“undertake”) (German Unternehmen), Old English underniman (“undertake”), Dutch ondernemen (“undertake”).

entreprendre

1. to capture; to take; to abduct
2. to undertake (a responsibility, etc.)
3. to protect
4. to take (reciprocally)
   • Puis s'entreprendent par les dois

     Then they took each other by the fingers

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has irregularities in its conjugation. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

• Middle French: entreprendre
  • English: enterprise (borrowed from Middle French entreprise, from the verb entreprendre)
  • French: entreprendre

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (entreprendre)