Etymologically
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déchirer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.ʃi.ʁe/[1]

Forms

déchirer[1] Old French descirer (about 1120), deschirer (about 1155); déchirer from 1530.[2][3]

Etymology

It is derived from Old French escirer (“to tear, split”), still found in eastern dialects, with the prefix dé- substituted for ⟨es-⟩.[3][4][5][6] The old verb comes from Frankish *skerian (“to separate, divide”), inferred from Old High German biskerian “to deprive, separate”.[3][4][7] A Frankish *skīran (“to scrape”) is semantically difficult; the Petit Robert nevertheless gives *skerjan (“to scrape”).[3][4][8] Wiktionary connects the Frankish verb with Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear, cut”) and Old English scieran (“to cut”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Canticle of Habakkuk in the Oxford Psalter (early 12th century) descireras renders Latin scindes: to split or tear into pieces by pulling.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

From the 12th century it took the figurative sense “to destroy” (about 1150), and especially “to attack someone with wounding words” (about 1280), as in déchirer quelqu'un à belles dents.[3][4] It has also expressed emotional pain since Old French, as in li cuers me descire (about 1275).[3][4] Calvin (1541) uses it for tearing a country apart by division, and Corneille (1640) for a heart torn between conflicting feelings.[2]

It has taken various slang values, such as “to make drunk”, especially in the past participle.[4] In recent slang it also means to be excellent, to rock.[1] Derivatives are déchirement (about 1200) and déchirure (about 1250).[5]

Timeline

  • Early 12th century – Descirer in the Oxford Psalter.[3]
  • 1155 – Deschire in Wace.[3]
  • c. 1150 – “To destroy”.[3][4]
  • c. 1200 – Déchirement.[5]
  • c. 1275 – Li cuers me descire.[3]
  • c. 1280 – “To attack with words”.[3]
  • 1530 – The spelling déchirer in Palsgrave.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To tear, rip (fabric, paper) by pulling: déchirer une lettre, se déchirer un muscle.[8][1]
  2. To tear the flesh of, lacerate: le lion déchire sa proie.[3][8]
  3. (figurative) To cause sharp pain to; to pierce (silence, the air).[8][3]
  4. To divide by conflict: un pays déchiré par la guerre.[2][8]
  5. To attack (someone) with cruel words: déchirer quelqu'un à belles dents.[1][3]
  6. Déchirer le voile: to reveal the truth.[8][1]
  7. (slang) To be excellent, to rock.[1]

Word family

  • déchirant
  • déchiré
  • déchirement
  • déchirure
  • entredéchirer
  • indéchirable

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 106a
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert