brutaliser

Forms

brutaliser^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French brutal + -iser.^[1][2][3][4] The adjective is from Late Latin brūtālis, from brūtus.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1572, in Belleforest, as the participle brutalisé “made like a brute, bestial”.^[3][6][2] Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1572 as an intransitive verb, “to act like a brute”.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The early senses, the participle “made bestial” and the reflexive se brutaliser “to become like a brute” (1584), have disappeared.^[6] In classical French it meant “to treat rudely, impolitely”, as in Furetière.^[3] The transitive verb is dated 1704 by the Robert dictionaries,^[2][7] while the DHLF dates its revival in the sense “to treat brutally” to 1794; this is the sense in use today, especially of beating someone.^[6][3] It is also said of handling things roughly, and figuratively of taking liberties with something, as with syntax.^[3][8]

Timeline

• 1572 – Belleforest uses brutalisé “made like a brute”.^[3][6]
• 1584 – Se brutaliser “to become like a brute”.^[6]
• 1704 – First record of the transitive verb.^[2][7]
• 1794 – It is used for “to treat brutally”.^[6]
• 1798 – The Académie records il la brutalisa sans sujet.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To treat (a person or an animal) brutally, to ill-treat, especially with blows: brutaliser un prisonnier.^[7][9][8]
2. To handle (things) roughly: brutaliser une porte.^[8][3]
3. (figurative) To take liberties with something, as with syntax.^[3]

Related words

• brutal
• brute
• brutalité
• brutalisme

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
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 d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ 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
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)