Etymologically
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appuyer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.pɥi.je/[1]

Forms

appuyer[1] Old French apuier, apoiier, apoyer.[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French apuier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *appodiō, from ad- and Latin podium (“base, support; balcony”) (which gave puy), itself borrowed from Ancient Greek πόδιον (pódion, “little foot”), diminutive of πούς (poús, “foot”).[3][4][5][2][6]

Cognate with Italian appoggiare, Spanish apoyar, Portuguese apoiar and Catalan apuiar.[7][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) Ganelon vait s'appuier souz le pin, goes to lean under the pine; the verb meant both to support materially and to rely on something.[3][8]

Semantic evolution

In the 12th century it meant to prop up, and in 1283 to build against something, s'apuier a droit “to rely on the law” is in Beaumanoir (1283).[3] Abstract senses grew from the 17th century: to support someone, help (1669), to base a hope on something (1671).[3]

Intransitively it meant to pronounce forcefully (1664) and to insist (appuyer sur, 1690), and to press on something (on the bit, 1690); appuyer sur la droite “to bear right” is from 1835.[3] In slang s'appuyer qqch. is to get stuck with a chore (1912).[9]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – S'appuier, Chanson de Roland.[8][3]
  • 12th century – The noun appui.[4]
  • 1283 – To build against, s'apuier a droit.[3]
  • 1669 – To back (someone).[3]
  • 1690 – Appuyer sur “to insist”.[3]
  • 1835 – Appuyer sur la droite.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (transitive) To lean, rest (something against or on something): appuyer une échelle contre un mur.[10][1]
  2. (transitive) To support, prop up; to back (a person, a proposal): appuyer une candidature.[10][1]
  3. (intransitive) To press: appuyer sur le bouton, appuyer sur le champignon, to step on it.[1][3]
  4. (intransitive) To stress, insist: appuyer sur un mot.[3]
  5. S'appuyer: to lean (on, against); to rely (on): s'appuyer sur des faits, (familiar) to get landed with (a chore).[1][9]

Word family

  • appui
  • appui-tête
  • appui-main
  • puy
  • podium

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  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. 25, 41b
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert