adresser

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a.dʁɛ.se/^[1]
• IPA: /a.dʁe.se/^[1]

Forms

adresser^[1] Old French adrecier, adrecer; written adresser from the early 15th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French a- + dresser, first adrecier, from the older form of the verb, drecier.^[2][3][4][1] That verb continues inherited from Vulgar Latin *dīrēctiāre, from dīrēctus (“straight”), the past participle of dīrigō (“to direct”).^[5][1][6]

Compare Picard adrécher, Old Occitan adreissar, Spanish aderezar and Italian indirizzare.^[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the early 12th century, as a reflexive, and in 1170 as a transitive verb, with the sense “to raise, set up straight”, Thomas Becket's biographer uses adrecier for setting right (redressing) one's misdeeds.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

From about 1174 s'adrecer meant “to go towards”, and adrecer “to direct”, a sense alive until the 17th century (adresser ses pas).^[2][5][8] From the idea of direction came the modern uses: “to address (words) to someone” (14th century) and “to send to someone” (mid-16th century), especially through an intermediary or by post.^[2][4] Adresser à quelqu'un “to speak to” (1518) gave way to the reflexive s'adresser à, also said of things, “to be meant for”.^[2]

The derivative adresse first meant “direct road” (1177–79); its senses “skill” and “address” both developed in the 16th and 17th centuries.^[2][5]

Timeline

• Early 12th century – Reflexive adrecier.^[2]
• 1170 – Transitive, “to raise, set up”.^[2]
• c. 1174 – S'adrecer “to go towards”.^[2]
• 14th century – “To address (words)”.^[2]
• Early 15th century – The spelling adresser.^[3][2]
• 1518 – Adresser à quelqu'un “to speak to”.^[2]
• Mid-16th century – “To send”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To address, direct (words) to someone: adresser la parole à quelqu'un, adresser des reproches.^[4][1]
2. To send, direct (something) to someone: adresser une lettre; to dedicate (a work).^[4][8]
3. To refer (someone) to the right person: le médecin m'a adressé à un spécialiste.^[4]
4. (classical) To aim, direct: adresser ses pas.^[8]
5. S'adresser à: to speak to, apply to; to be meant for: ce livre s'adresse aux enfants.^[2][1]
6. (computing) To assign an address to.^[4][3]

Word family

• adresse
• adressage
• adressable

Related words

• dresser
• redresser
• droit

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 84a
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse