arroser

Forms

arroser^[1] The form arrouser existed beside arroser from the 13th to the 17th century.^[2] Vaugelas recommended arroser, and Marguerite Buffet called arrouser an old pronunciation.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *arrōsō, an alteration of Late Latin arrōrō (“to cover with dew”) after rōs (“dew”).^[2][4][5][6] That verb is formed from ad- and rōrō (“to be wet with dew, to bedew”), from the stem of the noun for dew.^[2][7] Bloch and Wartburg note that the Late Latin verb is found in late authors from Gaul, and that the Vulgar Latin verb replaced classical irrigō.^[4]

Compare Old Occitan arozar.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Wace in 1155, meaning to moisten.^[5][7] Wace says of the Virgin's flowering rod that it was ne moillée, ne arosée “neither wetted nor watered”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Beside the general sense “to pour a liquid on”, used from the 12th century of tears and blood, the verb specialised in geography for a river watering the land it crosses (1265) and in farming for watering plants, then irrigating (1538), and for sprinkling a floor before sweeping (1834).^[2] Familiarly, with rain as the subject, it means to drench someone, hence se faire arroser.^[2][8]

The sense “to add alcohol to, to accompany with drink” dates from 1719, and was preceded by Old French arouser a food “to dip it in wine”.^[2] From it came “to celebrate by drinking” (1829), with arroser ses galons in army slang (1828) and ça s'arrose (1934).^[2][9] Figurative uses include “to lavish gifts on someone” (1258 to the 17th century), “to hand out money to” (1792, often with a hint of bribery), and “to shell, to rake with fire” (1915).^[2]

Timeline

• 1155 – First recorded, in Wace.^[5][7]
• 1258 – Used figuratively for lavishing gifts.^[2]
• 1265 – Said of a river watering a region.^[2][8]
• 13th century – The variant arrouser appears.^[2]
• 1538 – The sense “to irrigate” is recorded.^[2]
• 1611 – The derivative arrosage is recorded.^[4]
• 1719 – Used for adding alcohol or serving drink with food.^[2]
• 1792 – Used for handing out money.^[2]
• 1829 – The sense “to celebrate by drinking” appears.^[2]
• 1915 – Used for bombarding a position.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To water (plants, the ground); to wet by pouring a liquid on: arroser les tomates le soir.^[8][1]
2. Of a river: to flow through and irrigate a region: La Loire arrose Orléans.^[8][2]
3. (familiar) Of rain: to drench;^[8][5] se faire arroser, to get soaked.^[8][5]
4. (cooking) To baste a roast with its juices.^[5][8]
5. To accompany a meal with wine;^[5][2] un café arrosé has a dash of spirits.^[5][2]
6. (familiar) To drink to something, to celebrate it: ça s'arrose.^[1][2]
7. (familiar) To bribe, to hand money out to.^[1][2]
8. (military) To fire heavily on a place, to shell it.^[2]

Word family

• arrosage
• arrosement
• arroseur
• arrosoir

Related words

• rosée
• Latin rōs

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 334a
7. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
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
9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF