Etymologically
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dresser

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dʁɛ.se/[1]
  • IPA: /dʁe.se/[1]

Forms

dresser[1] Old French drecer, drecier.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French drecier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *dīrēctiō (“to straighten, set upright”),[4][2][5][3][6][1] derived from dīrēctus (“straight”) (see direct and droit).[4][2] The same Latin verb gave Italian drizzare, dirizzare and Old Spanish derezar (“to direct”).[2][5][7]

The double ⟨s⟩ continues an Old French ⟨c⟩, as in caresser, and its pronunciation long hesitated between a mute ⟨e⟩ and a full vowel before it.[4] Bloch and Wartburg note a former sense “to dress”, kept in English dress;[5][7] Littré records it in Berry and Normandy dialects.[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) has drecent lur sigle “they raise their sail”; the Chanson de Roland has the reflexive Franceis se dressent, si se mettent sur piez.[4][7]

Semantic evolution

Dresser l'oreille, said of an animal, meant figuratively “to pay attention” as early as 1179 (Roman de Renart).[4][2] Since vertical posture could express hostility, se dresser contre “to oppose” appears in 1172–74.[4][2] Until the 17th century dresser also covered “to direct”, still in La Fontaine's dresser ses pas, and Bloch and Wartburg think this may come from adresser.[2][5] Technical uses for making straight and flat (1169) survive in ironing, joinery and gardening.[2][4]

From “to arrange properly” (about 1200, le mangier… drechier) modern French kept dresser la table, le couvert and dresser a document, a list or a report.[2][4] The sense “to break in, train an animal” is in Amyot (mid-16th century), and “to educate, train a person” in Montaigne (1580).[4][5]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – “To raise”, Vie de saint Alexis.[4]
  • c. 1100 – Se drecer, Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • 1169 – “To make straight and flat”, Wace.[4]
  • 1172–74 – Se dresser contre, Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence.[4]
  • 1179 – Drescier l'oreille, Roman de Renart.[4]
  • c. 1200 – “To lay out (a meal)”, Aiol.[4]
  • 1285 – dressoir.[5]
  • Mid-16th century – “To train an animal”, Amyot.[4]
  • 1791 – dressage.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To raise, hold upright: dresser la tête, dresser l'oreille, to prick up one's ears.[8][1]
  2. To put up, erect: dresser une tente.[1][8]
  3. To set out, lay: dresser la table, le couvert.[1][2]
  4. To draw up a document.[1][2]
  5. To train an animal, break in a horse, (familiar) to discipline a person.[1][4]
  6. Dresser quelqu'un contre: to set someone against.[4][2]
  7. Se dresser: to stand up, rise; to tower, se dresser contre, to rise up against.[1][2]

Word family

  • dressage
  • dresseur
  • dressoir
  • redresser

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  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 f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 83b
  7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert