Etymologically
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amuser

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.my.ze/[1]

Forms

amuser[1] Féraud (1768) notes that it was formerly written amuzer.[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French a- + muser (“to idle, gape”).[3][4][5][1][6] Muser (1160) is derived from Old French “mus” “muzzle” (compare museau), and meant literally “to stand with one's nose in the air”.[7] Bloch and Wartburg compare Old Occitan muzar, Old Spanish “musar” “to wait” and Old Italian “musare” “to dawdle”, and think the word probably borrowed, without being able to tell from where.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Chrétien de Troyes (1175), with the sense “to deceive, fool”, to feed someone with vain hopes; the Roman de Renart has or l'a Renart tant amusé que ambedui sont acordé.[4][3][7][5]

Semantic evolution

In classical French it meant to occupy someone's time, to delay them (amusez-le du moins à débattre avec vous, Corneille), and to deceive with false hopes, Bossuet writes of the deceitful promises with which the false prophet amusait le peuple.[4][8] Montaigne (1580) uses it for distracting someone from a passion.[3] From these came the modern senses: to divert attention (amuser le tapis), and in the 17th century to entertain pleasantly, to make laugh.[8][5] The reflexive s'amuser “to have fun”, now the dominant use, is found only from 1635.[7]

Timeline

  • 1160 – The simple verb muser.[7]
  • 1175 – Amuser, Chrétien de Troyes.[4]
  • 1470 – Amusement.[7]
  • 1580 – “To distract”, Montaigne.[3]
  • 1635 – S'amuser.[7]
  • 17th century – “To entertain, make laugh”.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To amuse, entertain; to make laugh: ce jeu amuse les enfants, cela ne m'amuse pas.[8][1]
  2. S'amuser: to have fun, enjoy oneself; to play: s'amuser comme un petit fou.[1][7]
  3. S'amuser à: to pass one's time doing; to dawdle.[5][8]
  4. To distract, divert (the attention of): amuser le caissier, amuser le tapis, to play for time.[8]
  5. (dated) To deceive with false hopes; to delay.[8][4]

Word family

  • amusant
  • amusement
  • amusette
  • amuseur
  • amuse-gueule
  • muser
  • museau
  • musard

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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 d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/3, 280a
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert