étourdir

Forms

étourdir^[1] Old French estordir, esturdir and estourdir;^[2][3][4][5] étourdir from the 17th century.^[2][3][4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *exturdiō, formed with ex- on turdus (“thrush”) and meaning probably “to have a dazed head, like a thrush drunk on grapes”.^[2][6][3][5] The image is supported by Old French uses of the verb for being drunk (about 1200, in Aliscans)^[2][7] and by the thrush as a type of foolishness elsewhere: Italian tordo means both “thrush” and “fool”, and Spanish speaks of having a thrush's head.^[5][6] Littré accepted the explanation, which Diez had approved.^[7]

Pierre Guiraud, who rejects this sense development, proposed as etymon a hypothetical Gallo-Romance form *extorpidiō, from torpidus (“numb”) on the model of extorpēscō (“to grow numb”).^[5]

Cognate with Italian stordire and Spanish aturdir, earlier estordir.^[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the name Ricard Estordit in the Exon Domesday Book (1086); as a verb, Chrétien de Troyes's Cligès (1176) uses it for striking someone with a kind of numbness of the brain, from a blow, giddiness or drink.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

From the 15th century it also meant to weary someone with noise or talk (Charles d'Orléans).^[2][5] In the 17th century it meant to astonish (1629, Mairet), a sense now gone;^[2][5] s'étourdir became “to lose clear awareness of oneself” or “to seek a kind of intoxication” (1670), and with a thing as object the verb meant to dull a physical sensation or a moral pain (1677, Bossuet).^[2][5] In slang it was used for “to knock out, to kill” (Vidocq, 1829).^[5]

The present participle étourdissant was used of a deafening noise in 1615 and figuratively of something sensational from 1670.^[5][2]

Timeline

• 1086 – The name Ricard Estordit appears in the Exon Domesday Book.^[2][6]
• 1176 – Chrétien de Troyes uses the verb in Cligès.^[2][5]
• c. 1200 – Aliscans uses it for making someone drunk.^[2][7]
• 1213 – The derivative estordissement is recorded.^[5]
• 15th century – Charles d'Orléans uses it for wearying with talk.^[2]
• 1615 – Son estourdissante crierie is recorded.^[2]
• 1629 – Mairet uses it for “to astonish”.^[2]
• 1677 – Bossuet uses it for dulling a feeling.^[2]
• 1829 – Vidocq records the slang sense “to knock out”.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To stun or daze, to make someone half lose consciousness by a blow or shock.^[8][2][1]
2. To make giddy or light-headed: of wine, perfume, dancing.^[8][4]
3. To weary or deafen someone with noise or talk.^[4][7]
4. To dull a sensation or a pain;^[2][5] s'étourdir: to forget oneself in activity or pleasure.^[2][5]
5. (dated) To astonish, to stupefy.^[8][2]

Word family

• étourdi
• étourdissant
• étourdissement
• étourderie

Related words

• Latin turdus

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 q r s t 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
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert