brûler

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bʁy.le/^[1]

Forms

brûler^[1] Old French bruller (about 1120), brusler (end of the 12th century); brûler from 1669.^[2][3] The 1990 spelling reform allows bruler.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French bruller, of uncertain origin.^[2][5] Its second part is generally taken from Old French usler (“to scorch”), inherited from Latin ustulō (“to scorch, singe”), from ūrō (“to burn”).^{[2][5][3][1][6]} The initial “br-” is much disputed.^[2] Most sources explain it by crossing with Old French bruir (“to burn”), from Frankish *brōjan (“to scald”).^{[2][5][7][3][1]} Others propose a popular Latin “*bustulāre”, taken from “combūrō” and “ambūrō” (whence buste and combustion), or, for the Italian forms, a Mediterranean base, Pierre Guiraud derived it from “*bruscitulāre”, “to singe with heather”, from Late Latin bruscus (“butcher's broom; heather”).^[2][3][5] Wiktionary also mentions a Gaulish relative of Old Irish bruth (“boiling heat”).^[1]

Compare Italian brustolare and Old Occitan bruslar.^[8][1] Only French has this verb; the other Romance languages prefer descendants of Latin ārdeō, as Spanish arder, or of cremō, as Occitan cremar and Spanish quemar.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Oxford Psalter (about 1120) has Sicume fus chi brulle la selve “as the fire that burns the forest”.^[8][7][5]

Semantic evolution

Transitive “to destroy by fire” and intransitive “to be destroyed by fire” (before 1150) are the first uses; with a person or part of the body as object it meant to kill or injure by fire.^[2] Old French used it figuratively (1200–25) and for “to dry out” (about 1180).^[2] The intransitive use for extreme heat dates from 1539, and for an intense feeling, love, desire or impatience, from 1538, as in Du Bellay's Didon se brusle.^[2][8] Brûler ses vaisseaux and brûler la cervelle are classical, Littré explains brûler ses livres by the alchemist who burns his books in despair.^[7][8] Brûler les étapes and brûler un feu rouge express going past without stopping, and in games tu brûles ! means “you're getting warm”.^[1][3] Regionally in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, an electric appliance brûle when it is switched on.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1120 – Bruller, Oxford Psalter.^[7]
• Before 1150 – Intransitive “to be on fire”.^[2]
• c. 1180 – “To dry out”.^[2]
• Late 12th century – Brusler.^[3]
• 1538 – To burn with a feeling.^[2]
• 1539 – Of extreme heat.^[2]
• 1669 – The spelling brûler.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To burn, destroy by fire: brûler des papiers, brûler vif.^[3][9]
2. To burn as fuel or for light: brûler du bois, brûler un cierge.^[3][10]
3. To burn, scorch, scald: le soleil brûle la peau, se brûler la main.^[2][1]
4. (intransitive) To be on fire, to burn; of food, to burn.^[4][1]
5. (intransitive) To be very hot; to burn with a feeling: brûler de fièvre, brûler d'impatience, brûler de with the infinitive, to long to.^[2][7]
6. To pass without stopping: brûler un feu rouge, brûler les étapes, brûler la politesse à quelqu'un, to leave abruptly.^[1][3]
7. (games, familiar) To be very close to the answer: tu brûles !.^[1]

Word family

• brûlant
• brûlé
• brûlure
• brûleur
• brûlot
• brûlis
• brûlerie
• brûlage

Related words

• combustion
• Latin ustulō

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
5. ^ a b c d e 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. 14, 76a
7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ 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