amarrer

Forms

amarrer^[1] Middle French amarer;^[2][3] Anglo-Norman amarer, amerer.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle Dutch *aenmarren (“to fasten”), a Middle Dutch verb formed from aen (“on”) and marren (“to tie, moor”).^[3][4][5] The simple verb was probably also borrowed, as Middle French marer.^[3][6] Rey places the Dutch verb in a Germanic family whose basic idea is “to hinder, hold back”, including Old High German marren, and the Frankish verb behind marri.^[4] Compare Dutch meren and English moor.^[3][1]

The TLFi rules out a borrowing from West Germanic before the 5th century, since the Germanic invaders brought no sea terms, and a borrowing from Old High German, since the French word is first and mainly found in Normandy and the west; the other Romance languages took it from French.^[3] Italian amarrare and Spanish amarrar come from French, according to Bloch and Wartburg.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Oléron sea laws (14th century, manuscript of Troyes), of a ship amaree de .iiij. amares, moored by four mooring lines.^[3]

Semantic evolution

From the start the verb has concerned ships, their ropes and chains: first holding a ship still by tying it to a fixed point, then (15th century) lashing things on board.^[4][3] Nicot (1584) explains it as tying one thing to another with ropes.^[3] The general sense “to tie, fasten” is archaic or dialectal in France, used in Normandy and the west near the coasts, but alive in Réunion, Acadia and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, through the speech of sailors.^[4][7]

The derivative amarre “mooring rope” is recorded in 1386, démarrer in 1491 and amarrage in 1573.^[4][7]

Timeline

• 14th century – The Oléron sea laws use it of mooring a ship.^[3]
• 1386 – Amarre is recorded.^[4]
• 15th century – The Dieppe custumal uses it for lashing a cask on board.^[3]
• 1491 – Démarrer appears.^[7]
• 1573 – Amarrage appears.^[7]
• 1584 – Nicot defines it as tying with ropes.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (nautical) To moor a boat, to hold it with mooring ropes: amarrer une barque au quai.^[8][3]
2. To make fast a rope or chain, by winding it round a cleat.^[8][9]
3. To tie or lash something down with ropes: amarrer des malles sur une voiture.^[8]
4. (reflexive) s'amarrer: to be moored, to moor oneself.^[10][3]

Word family

• amarre
• amarrage
• démarrer
• désamarrer

Related words

• arrimer

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 16, 534b
7. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette