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détacher

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French has two verbs détacher: one, “to untie”, is the opposite of attacher; the other, “to remove stains”, is formed on tache “stain”.[1][2][3]

détacher1 untie

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.ta.ʃe/[3]

Forms

détacher[3] Old French destachier (1165); the Académie wrote destacher until 1740.[4][5]

Etymology

To untie was formed in Old French with the prefix dé- as the opposite of attacher, by a change of prefix.[5][4][1] That verb rests on Old French tache (“clasp”), according to Bloch and Wartburg and the Grand Robert; the GLLF derives the verb from estache (“stake, post”), from Frankish *stakka.[6][1][7] At the same period Old French also had desatachier.[5][4] Cognate with Italian staccare and Old Occitan destacar.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie (1165) has destachier for freeing someone or something from what held it.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

In the 17th century it took figurative senses: Corneille in 1640 uses it for detaching someone from their attachments, and d'un œil si détaché.[4][5] D'Aubigné (1616–1620) writes that the marshal destacha de ses bataillons… huit files, separating a part from a whole; hence the military sense “to send on a mission” (before 1696) and the administrative “to second”.[4][5] Félibien (1676) uses it in art for making an object stand out against a background, and in sport se détacher is said of a rider breaking away from the pack (1858).[5] Popular French had détacher un coup, to land a blow (1754).[8][7] Détachement dates from 1606.[5]

Timeline

  • 1165 – Destachier in the Roman de Troie.[4]
  • 1606 – Destachement.[5]
  • 1616–1620 – Separating troops, in d'Aubigné.[4]
  • 1640 – Detaching from affections, in Corneille.[4]
  • 1676 – Making stand out, in Félibien.[4]
  • Before 1696 – Sending on a mission, in Sévigné.[4]
  • 1858 – Breaking away in a race.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To untie, unfasten, free from what holds it: détacher un chien, détacher sa ceinture.[9][2]
  2. To detach, separate a part from a whole: détacher les pétales d'une fleur, détacher un feuillet d'un carnet.[2][7]
  3. To send someone on a mission; to second an official.[5][4]
  4. (figurative) To turn away from, free from an attachment.[5][2]
  5. To make stand out against a background, se détacher, to stand out.[5][3]
  6. Se détacher: to come off, (sport) to break away from the pack.[3][5]
  7. Pièces détachées: spare parts.[3]

Word family

  • détachement
  • détaché

détacher2 remove stains

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.ta.ʃe/[3]

Forms

détacher[3]

Etymology

To remove stains is formed from dé- and tache “stain” with a verb ending.[1][2][3][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Robert dictionaries date it to 1501.[1][2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To remove stains from: donner un costume à détacher, détacher un tissu à la benzine.[2][11]

Word family

  • détachage
  • détacheur

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)