promener

French

Etymology

From an alteration of Middle French pourmener, Old French pourmener, pormener (based on numerous verbs beginning with the prefix pro-), itself from pour- and mener; alternatively and less likely corresponds to a Vulgar Latin *prominare (“to drive forward”), from prō (“forward”) +‎ mino (“I drive”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔm.ne/

• audio:

  (file)

Verb

promener

1. (reflexive) to walk (leisurely), to go for a walk, to stroll
   • 1869, Charles Beaudelaire, "Perte d'auréole", Petits Poëmes en prose:

     Je puis maintenant me promener incognito, faire des actions basses, et me livrer à la crapule, comme les simples mortels

     Now I can stroll about incognito, do mean things, launch into debauches, like ordinary mortals. (transl. Keith Waldrop, 2009)

   • 1962, Françoise Hardy

     Tous les garçons et les filles de mon âge se promènent dans la rue deux par deux.

     All the boys and girls of my age walk down the street in pairs.

2. (transitive) to walk out (an animal)
3. (transitive) to carry around, often with the implication of showing off

Related terms

• promenade

See also

• aller
• border
• côtoyer
• courir
• longer
• marcher

Further reading

• “promener”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.