baisser

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɛ.se/^[1]
• IPA: /be.se/^[1]
• IPA (Quebec): /bɛ.se/^[1]
• IPA (Quebec): /bɛː.se/^[1]

Forms

baisser^[1] Old French baissier (1080).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French baissier, from popular Latin inherited from Vulgar Latin *bassiō, derived from Late Latin bassus (“low”) (see bas); in Romance it stands opposed to “*altiāre” (see hausser).^{[2][4][3][5][1]}

Cognate with Old Occitan baissar, Catalan baixar, Spanish bajar and Portuguese baixar.^[6][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it means to bend a part of the body towards the ground: Baisse son chef, si comence à penser “he bows his head and begins to think”.^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

In seamanship it meant to lower (about 1150), and of a sound to reduce its strength (about 1175).^[2] Se baisser is from 1432.^[2] Intransitively it meant to decline in height from the 12th century (Li soleuz besse, the sun goes down), and figuratively of sound or light.^[2][7] From the 17th century it was used of a person losing strength or faculties, and in trade of a falling price (1695); the transitive “to lower the price of” followed in 1835.^[2] Baisser pavillon “to strike one's flag” gave the figurative “to give in”.^[8][7]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Baissier, Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• c. 1150 – To lower, in seamanship.^[2]
• c. 1175 – To lower a sound.^[2]
• 1432 – Se baisser.^[2]
• 1695 – Of falling prices.^[2]
• 1723 – Baisse.^[4]
• 1835 – To lower a price.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To lower, let down: baisser un store, baisser la vitre, baisser pavillon, to give in.^[8][9]
2. To bow, bend (a part of the body): baisser la tête, baisser les yeux, tête baissée, headlong.^[8][9]
3. To turn down, reduce: baisser le son, baisser les prix, baisser la voix.^[1][2]
4. Baisser les bras: to give up.^[1]
5. (intransitive) To go down, fall, drop: les prix baissent, le jour baisse.^[1][2]
6. (intransitive) To decline, weaken: sa vue baisse.^[1][2]
7. Se baisser: to bend down, stoop.^[1][2]

Word family

• baisse
• baissier
• abaisser
• abaissement
• rabaisser
• rabais
• rebaisser
• surbaissé

Related words

• bas
• hausser

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 272a
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse