cacher

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ka.ʃe/^[1]

Forms

cacher^[1] Old French quachier (13th–15th centuries), cachier (about 1278).^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French cachier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *coacticō (“to press together”), a strengthened form of Latin coāctō (“to constrain”), the frequentative of cōgō (“to drive together, compel”), itself from com- and agō (“to drive”).^{[2][3][4][5][1]} “Coāctāre” survives in southern forms such as Provençal “cacha” “to crush, press”, and Old French had “escachier” “to crush” (see écacher).^[2][3] Littré compared Italian quatto (“crouching”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 13th century as quachier; until the 16th century it also meant “to press”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

From “to squeeze, press down” came “to hide from view”, recorded from the first texts but rare before the 16th century.^[2] In this sense cacher supplanted Old French esconser, from escondre, Latin abscondō (“to hide”), which lived until the end of the 15th century; most southern dialects still say escondre.^[2][3] From the sense “to press” comes cachet “seal” (1464); from “to hide” come cachette (1313), cachot (1550), cache (1561) and cache-cache (1778).^[3]

Timeline

• 13th century – Quachier.^[2]
• c. 1278 – Cachier.^[2]
• 1313 – Cachette.^[3]
• 1464 – Cachet.^[3]
• 16th century – “To hide” becomes common.^[2]
• 1778 – Cache-cache.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To hide, conceal: cacher un objet.^[1][4]
2. To hide from view: l'arbre cache la maison.^[4]
3. To keep secret: cacher la vérité.^[4]
4. Se cacher: to hide (oneself).^[1]

Word family

• cache
• cachette
• cachot
• cachet
• cachotterie
• cache-cache
• cache-nez
• cache-pot
• cache-sexe

Related words

• écacher
• Latin coāctō

Usage notes

A separate adjective cacher “kosher” is a variant spelling of casher, borrowed from Hebrew.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 809b
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette