embarrasser

Forms

embarrasser^[1] First written embarasser with one ⟨r⟩ (1570–1571).^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Spanish embarazar (“to hinder, encumber”), recorded in Spanish from about 1460, which was itself taken from Leonese and Galician-Portuguese embaraçar, derived from baraço (“strap, cord”), a word of uncertain origin.^[3][2] Italian imbarazzare has the same Spanish source.^[3][2][4] The French verb probably appeared first in Walloon territory, occupied by the Spanish in the 16th century;^[3][2][4] Bloch and Wartburg speak of Spanish Flanders.^[3][2][4]

Bloch and Wartburg, the FEW and the GLLF trace the Spanish word to Vulgar Latin *barra (“bar”), but the TLFi objects that the Iberian forms have only one ⟨r⟩.^[4][5][6][3] The Grand Robert allows either Spanish or Italian as the source.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Montluc's Commentaires (1570–1571), meaning to put someone in a difficult position: afin de n'estre embarassé parmy les uns ou les autres “so as not to be caught between one side and the other”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The reflexive s'embarrasser appears in Montaigne (1580) for losing one's way or one's power to move, a sense now dated;^[3][2] Montaigne also has the participle embarrassé “in difficulty”.^[3][2] By the end of the 16th century the verb meant to confuse someone's thoughts and, concretely, to obstruct a passage.^[2] Molière uses it for bothering someone by one's presence (1665) and s'embarrasser de for worrying too much about something (1663).^[3][2] The classical sense “hinder with an obstacle” (1690) has aged, but it gave the modern “restrict someone's freedom of movement”.^[2]

In many dialects the feminine participle means “pregnant”, as Spanish embarazada does, but this use is very rare in the literary language.^[4] English borrowed the verb as embarrass in the 1670s.^[8]

Timeline

• 1570–1571 – First record, in Montluc's Commentaires.^[3]
• 1574 – Date of first record in Bloch and Wartburg.^[4]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses s'embarrasser and embarrassé.^[3]
• 1606 – Embarrassant is recorded.^[3]
• 1663 – S'embarrasser de “to worry about” in Molière's École des femmes.^[3]
• 1665 – Molière uses it for being a nuisance by one's presence.^[3][2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “hinder the normal use of something”.^[3]
• 1670s – English embarrass is first recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To clutter or obstruct (a place, a passage).^[9][1]
2. To hamper someone's movements.^[9][10]
3. To put someone in a difficult position, to make them uneasy or perplexed: sa question m'embarrasse.^[9][1]
4. To complicate (a question, an affair).^[10]
5. (reflexive) s'embarrasser de: to burden oneself with, or to worry about, something.^[9][3]

Word family

• embarras
• débarrasser

Related words

• barre

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 260a
6. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette