charger
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ʃaʁ.ʒe/[1]
Forms
charger[1] Old French carger (Chanson de Roland), chargier (1160–74), chergier (1299).[2][3]
Etymology
It is inherited from Late Latin carricō (“to load”), recorded in the 6th century in the syncopated form “carcare” (Salic Law), derived from carrus (“four-wheeled wagon”) (see char): properly “to put in a wagon”.[3][2][4][5][6] The Petit Robert gives “carrus” as a word of Celtic origin.[7]
Cognate with Italian caricare, Old Occitan cargar, Catalan carregar, Spanish cargar and Portuguese carregar.[8][9]
Earliest recorded meaning
In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) carger is to put something heavy on a person, an animal or a vehicle: D'or et d'argent quatre cenz muls chargez.[3][9]
Semantic evolution
The idea of putting on has always remained, with different senses according to the object.[2] About 1150 Wace has charger qqc. à qqn “to entrust something to someone”, replaced by charger qqn de qqc. (1538); to charge an enemy is in Ambroise (about 1195), whence the order chargez !.[3][2] To accuse is found at the end of the 12th century, and to impose a tax in 1299.[3][2]
Loading a firearm is recorded in 1564, a furnace in 1752 and an electric battery in 1814.[3][10] Portrait chargé (1676) and charger “to exaggerate” (1704) gave the noun charge “caricature” (1680).[3][2] Chargé d'affaires is in Marat (1790), and a cab driver charge a fare from 1929.[3] In Quebec charger “to bill” is a calque of English to charge.[2]
Timeline
- c. 1100 – Carger, Chanson de Roland.[3]
- c. 1150 – To entrust, Wace.[3]
- c. 1195 – To charge an enemy, Ambroise.[3]
- 1299 – To tax.[3]
- 1564 – To load a firearm.[3]
- 1704 – To exaggerate.[3]
- 1790 – Chargé d'affaires, Marat.[3]
- 1814 – To charge a battery.[3]
- 1929 – Of a cab driver, to pick up a fare.[3]
Meanings
Verb
- To load: charger une voiture, charger des marchandises sur un navire.[7][11][1]
- To load a firearm or a camera, fill a pipe; to charge a battery.[3][1]
- To burden, weigh down; to fill to excess: charger sa mémoire.[3][9]
- Charger quelqu'un de: to put someone in charge of, entrust with: il m'a chargé de vous le dire.[3][1]
- To accuse, bring evidence against: témoin qui charge l'accusé.[2][1]
- To charge, attack: la cavalerie chargea.[2][1]
- To exaggerate, caricature; in the theatre, to overact.[3][1]
- (familiar) Of a taxi, to pick up a passenger.[3][7]
- Se charger de: to take care of, see to.[1][2]
Word family
- charge
- chargé
- chargement
- chargeur
- décharger
- recharger
- surcharger
Related words
- caricature
- char
- charrier
- cargaison
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v 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
- ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 415b
- ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
- ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
- ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)