épuiser

Forms

épuiser^[1] Old French expuiser (about 1120), espuchier (about 1140), espuiser and epuyser (16th century).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French é- + puiser (“to draw water”).^[3][2][1] The Grand Robert and the GLLF analyse it as the prefix (Old French es-, from Latin ex-, here with privative force) added to puits “well”, with a verbal ending.^[4][5] The FEW places it under Latin puteus (“well”).^[6] Bloch and Wartburg treat it in their article on the noun for “well”.^[7]

Littré cites the Picard form épucher.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first records are expuiser “to empty completely” in the Oxford Psalter (first half of the 12th century) and espuchier “to draw (water)” in Geffrei Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis (about 1140).^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

From “empty completely” and “draw water” came by analogy “use up entirely” (about 1175, of one's resources) and “ruin, impoverish” (about 1355, of a country).^[2][5] Concrete uses followed for soil made barren (1671) and a mine worked out (1765).^[2][9]

From the 16th century it meant “to weaken completely” (1515, of a person's strength or health) and “to use to the end” (1552, Du Bellay), whence “to treat a subject exhaustively” (1573).^[2][3] The reflexive s'épuiser (about 1587) was first said of a spring, then of land and its resources and of copies of a book (1845); from the 17th century it is said of a person who wears himself out (Corneille, 1650).^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1120 – Expuiser “to empty completely” in the Oxford Psalter.^[2][5]
• c. 1140 – Espuchier “to draw water” in Gaimar.^[3][2]
• c. 1355 – “To impoverish”, in Bersuire.^[5][2]
• 1515 – “To weaken completely”.^[3][2]
• 1552 – “To use to the end”, in Du Bellay.^[3][2]
• c. 1587 – The reflexive s'épuiser appears.^[2]
• 1636 – The spelling épuiser is recorded by Monet.^[5]
• 1671 – Used of exhausting the soil.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. (dated) To drain, empty of water by drawing it off: épuiser une citerne.^[9][3]
2. To exhaust a mine or seam, or make soil barren by overcropping.^[9][5]
3. To use up completely: épuiser ses réserves.^[9][3]
4. To use to the end, to treat exhaustively: épuiser un sujet.^[9][3]
5. To wear out, tire out completely: Cette longue marche m'a épuisé.^[9][1]
6. (reflexive) s'épuiser: to wear oneself out, or of a stock or resource, to run out.^[9][2]

Word family

• épuisement
• épuisant
• épuisable
• inépuisable
• épuisette

Related words

• puiser
• puits
• Latin puteus

Usage notes

The Grand Robert records a second épuiser (20th century), “to land a fish with a landing net”, a back-formation from épuisette.^[4][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 629b
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert