assouvir

Forms

assouvir^[1] Old French aseuvir, assovir, acevir and asouvir.^[2][3][4][5]

Etymology

It is, in the most likely view, inherited from Vulgar Latin *assōpiō (“to calm”), from Latin sōpiō (“to put to sleep”), which in Gaul had taken on the sense “to calm”.^[6][7][8] The Latin verb is derived from sopor (“deep sleep”).^[6] Rey notes that the verb has no Romance counterpart outside Gaul and that its origin is a problem.^[6] It was crossed with Old French assevir (“to finish”), from *assequiō, an alteration of Classical Latin assequor (“to reach”).^[6][7][2] Ménage had linked it with Latin sufficiō.^[6] Littré records Picard assoufi and assufi, and rejects Diez's derivation from Gothic.^[5]

It is a doublet of assoupir.^[1][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Late 12th-century lyric has aseuvis and asevir;^[5][6][2] Rey gives “to finish, carry through” as its first sense, which lasted until the early 16th century.^[5][6][2]

Semantic evolution

From “to complete” the verb passed to “to calm completely” and then “to satisfy, fill” (1270).^[6] The form assouvir in the sense “to sate hunger” dates from about 1268, in Étienne Boileau's Livre des métiers.^[6][5] The pronominal s'assouvir, at first passive (about 1410), was common in classical French and is now literary.^[6]

The past participle assouvi long kept the old senses “brought to its height” (1403) and “perfect”, until the 16th century, before taking the modern sense “sated”.^[6] The verb is now mostly used of passions and desires, and can be said in a good sense, though rarely.^[9]

Timeline

• late 12th century – Aseuvis and asevir appear in lyric poetry.^[5][2]
• c. 1268 – Assouvir “to feed, supply” appears in Étienne Boileau's Livre des métiers.^[6][5]
• 1270 – The sense “to satisfy” is recorded.^[6][4]
• 1340 – The noun assouvissement appears.^[6]
• c. 1410 – The pronominal form is found.^[6]
• 1794 – inassouvi is recorded.^[6][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. (literary) To calm completely a strong appetite, to sate hunger or thirst.^[2][10][11]
2. (figurative) To satisfy fully a desire or passion: assouvir sa vengeance.^[2][9]
3. (rare) To fill or sate a person.^[9][2]
4. S'assouvir: to eat one's fill, or (of a passion) to be satisfied.^[9][2]

Word family

• assouvissement
• inassouvi

Related words

• assoupir
• Latin sōpiō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 565a
9. ^ a b c d 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
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)