décomposer

Forms

décomposer^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French dé- + composer,^[2][3][4][1] the verb being from Latin compōnō (“to put together”), with its form reshaped in French after poser.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is in chemistry, about 1516, in the Response de l'alchymiste à Nature, meaning to divide a body into its constituent elements.^[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg, the GLLF and the Petit Robert date the word from Calvin in 1541, where the reflexive se décomposer meant to lose one's head.^[5][6][7][4]

Semantic evolution

The verb belongs mainly to the sciences: chemistry, then mathematics (1754, of breaking a product into its factors) and physics (1810, of light).^[8][2] In general use it took the sense “to alter deeply, destroy (a compound body)” in 1690, and in 1771 the Trévoux dictionary illustrates it with fever that decomposes the blood.^[2][8] From 1818 it is used of the features of the face, which are altered by emotion, mostly in the reflexive and the past participle.^[8][2]

The 16th-century sense “to lose one's composure” died out after the 18th century.^[2] The noun décomposition (1694) shares most of these senses and is often used of the rotting of organic matter.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1516 – First recorded, in alchemy, for dividing a body into its elements.^[2]
• 1541 – Calvin uses se décomposer for losing one's head.^[5][6][4]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “to destroy or alter a compound body”.^[2][6]
• 1694 – The noun décomposition is attested.^[8][5]
• 1754 – The Encyclopédie uses it in mathematics.^[2]
• 1790 – The adjective décomposable is attested.^[5]
• 1810 – Chateaubriand uses it of light.^[2]
• 1818 – Nodier uses it of the features of the face.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (sciences) To separate into its constituent elements: to decompose water by electrolysis, to split light with a prism.^[7][4][2]
2. (mathematics) To break down into factors or parts: décomposer 60 en facteurs premiers.^[7][4]
3. To reduce something complex to simple elements in order to study it, to analyse: décomposer un geste.^[6][9]
4. To alter deeply, to cause to decay; reflexive se décomposer: to rot.^[2][1]
5. To distort the features of the face: visage décomposé by fear or pain.^[2][8]

Word family

• décomposition
• décomposable
• indécomposable
• décomposeur

Related words

• composer
• Latin compōnō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
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 e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)