allumer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a.ly.me/^[1]

Forms

allumer^[1] Old French alumer.^[1][2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French alumer, inherited from Vulgar Latin *allūminō (“to light up”), from ad- and Latin lūminō (“to light up”), from lūmen (“light”).^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The original sense “to light up” is found in Old French and survives in eastern dialects.^[5][8]

Cognate with Italian alluminare, Old Occitan alumenar, Spanish alumbrar and Portuguese alumiar.^[9][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has alumer in the sense “to set fire to”: Mirre et timoine i firent alumer.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to set fire to” early drove out its competitors, Old French esprendre and afouer (from fou, fire), which survive only in Lorraine and French-speaking Switzerland.^[4][5] Chrétien de Troyes (1164) uses it figuratively for inflaming the senses, allumer la guerre and similar phrases stir up feelings or conflict.^[3][4]

Allumer une lampe led to the absolute allumer “to put the light on” (12th century), then in the 20th century to switching on electric light (Académie, 1932), and later a radio or other apparatus.^[4] Racine (1689) used it for making the face flush.^[4] The familiar sense “to arouse (a man)” goes back to the early 17th century (Malherbe), and gave allumeuse “tease”.^[4][10]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – “To set fire to”, Chanson de Roland.^[3]
• 1164 – To inflame (a person), Chrétien de Troyes.^[3]
• 1213 – The derivative allumette.^[5]
• 1845 – Allumer une pipe.^[4]
• 1932 – Allumer l'électricité, Académie.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To light, set alight: allumer une bougie, une cigarette, le feu.^[10][1]
2. To switch on (a light, an appliance): allumer la lumière, la télé, (absolute) to put the light on.^[1][4]
3. To stir up, kindle (a feeling, a conflict): allumer la guerre.^[10][8]
4. (familiar) To arouse, lead on (someone).^[1][10]
5. S'allumer: to catch fire; to come on (of a light); to light up (of eyes).^[1][10]

Word family

• allumage
• allume-cigare
• allume-feu
• allumette
• allumeur
• allumeuse
• rallumer

Related words

• lumière
• illuminer
• Latin lūmen

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b c d e 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 c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 340a
8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert