embosser

Forms

embosser^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French en- + bosse + -er, the noun being taken in its nautical sense of a short rope used to hold or make fast a cable, with the prefix in the form em-.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The GLLF analyses it instead as the prefix with the verb bosser “to make fast with a rope”.^[7][8]

The noun in the sense “rope” is recorded from 1516; the TLFi, after the FEW, links it to the same word in the sense “bump, swelling”, because of the shape of the knots.^[2][9] The origin of the word for a bump is unclear: Bloch and Wartburg call its prototype unexplained,^[5] while Wiktionary derives it from Frankish *bottja.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as the pronominal s'embosser in 1688, in a naval text by Du Casse, of a ship mooring so as to present its side.^[2][3] The transitive verb, “to hold a ship at anchor in a fixed position with cables fore and aft”, follows in 1752, in the Dictionnaire de Trévoux.^[7][3][8]

Semantic evolution

The verb belongs to the language of the navy: a ship is moored by the bow and the stern so that wind and current cannot swing it, and it can fire a broadside from one side only.^[6][2] From 1770 s'embosser is used of ships taking up this position, and by extension, from 1870, of a person settling firmly into a stable position; a figurative use “to take cover, wrap oneself up” appears in the early 20th century, and these extended uses are now dated.^[7][8] In familiar naval speech it also means to settle into a defensive position.^[4]

About 1985 the verb took a new sense from bosse “bump”: to stamp the identifying characters in relief on a payment card.^[4]

Timeline

• 1516 – The noun bosse “rope” is recorded in Norman naval documents.^[2]
• 1687 – The derivative embossure “rope” is recorded by Desroches.^[2]
• 1688 – S'embosser appears in a text by Du Casse.^[2][3]
• 1752 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux records the transitive verb.^[7][8]
• 1770 – Raynal uses s'embosser of ships.^[7][8]
• 1792 – Romme's naval dictionary records embossage.^[2][8]
• 1870 – Larousse records the extended sense “to settle firmly in place”.^[7][8]
• c. 1985 – The sense “to emboss a payment card” appears.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. (nautical) To moor a ship by the bow and the stern so that it keeps a fixed heading despite wind and current.^[4][10][2]
2. (nautical, pronominal) s'embosser: of a ship, to moor in this way, presenting its broadside.^[2][10]
3. (familiar, pronominal) To settle into a firm or defensive position.^[4][7]
4. To emboss the identifying characters on a payment card.^[4][1]

Word family

• embossage
• embossure

Related words

• bosse
• bosser
• débosser

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 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 c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 467a
10. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale