assaut

Forms

assaut m (plural assauts)^[1] Old French asalt, later assault, with the nominative singular asals, asaus and the oblique asalt, asaut.^[2][3] Anglo-Norman spellings include asald, assalt and assaute.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French asalt, inherited from Vulgar Latin *assaltus, an alteration of Latin assultus (“attack”) after saltus (“leap”), the source of saut.^{[2][5][6][7][8]} The classical noun belongs to the verb assiliō (“to leap at, attack”), from which assaillir also comes.^[2][6]

Cognate with Italian assalto, Spanish asalto and Catalan assalt.^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as asalt in the Chanson de Roland (1080), of a military attack: Ancui rendrons à paiens cest asalt “today we shall pay the pagans back for this attack”.^[9][3][2]

Semantic evolution

The word was military at first, but Old French already used it figuratively: assaut de temptation is recorded in 1262–1268, amoureulx assaulx “amorous assaults” about 1462, and Pasquier spoke of an assaut de fièvre in the 16th century.^[2] The Old French word passed into English, where asaut is found about 1200 and assault, with the ⟨l⟩ restored, in the late 14th century.^[10]

In the 17th century (recorded 1680) it took the special sense of a courteous bout with the foil or the épée in fencing, later of a boxing bout (1891), and in mountaineering of an attempt on a summit (1897).^[2][11] The figurative phrase faire assaut de “to vie in” goes back to Scarron in the mid-17th century.^[2][12] The military sense lives on in donner l'assaut and in compounds such as char d'assaut “tank” (1917) and avion d'assaut.^[2]

Timeline

• 1080 – Asalt appears in the Chanson de Roland.^[9][2]
• c. 1200 – English asaut is recorded, from the Old French word.^[10]
• 1262–1268 – First figurative use, assaut de temptation.^[2]
• c. 1265 – The spelling assaut is recorded.^[6][7]
• Mid-17th century – Scarron uses faire assaut de “to vie in”.^[2]
• 1680 – First record of the fencing sense.^[2]
• 1891 – Used of a boxing bout.^[2]
• 1897 – Used in mountaineering for an attempt on a summit.^[2][11]
• 1917 – Char d'assaut “tank” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. An attack made to take a place or position by force;^[7][13][3] monter à l'assaut, donner l'assaut: to launch the attack.^[7][3] Les troupes ont donné l'assaut à la citadelle.^[7][13][3]
2. À l'assaut !: the cry calling troops to charge.^[7][9]
3. (literary) The violent onslaught of natural forces: l'assaut des vagues.^[13][12]
4. (figurative) A fierce attack, harassment or pressing solicitation by people, or the attack of an illness or misfortune.^[13][12][3]
5. Prendre d'assaut a place: to rush into it in great numbers.^[7][14] Les voyageurs ont pris d'assaut le dernier train.^[7][14]
6. (fencing) A bout between fencers with the foil or the épée; by extension a boxing or wrestling bout.^[14][7][12]
7. Faire assaut de: to vie with one another in something.^[12][2]

Related words

• assaillir
• saut
• Latin assultus
• English assault

Usage notes

Littré notes that the final ⟨t⟩ is sounded in liaison before a vowel, and the ⟨s⟩ of the plural likewise.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 505a
9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
12. ^ 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
13. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
14. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)