Etymologically
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empêcher

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃.pɛ.ʃe/[1]
  • IPA: /ɑ̃.pe.ʃe/[1]

Forms

empêcher[1] Old French empedecad (about 1120), empeechier (about 1155, Wace), empeschier, empescher in the 15th century and empêcher in the 16th; a variant ampagier is found in the 13th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French empeechier, inherited from Late Latin impedicō (“to catch in a trap, shackle”), from in- and pedica (“fetter, snare for catching animals by the foot”), from pēs (“foot”).[4][3][5][2][6] “Pedica” is also the source of piège.[3] The ⟨s⟩ of the old spellings was never pronounced.[7]

Wiktionary notes that English impeach is a cognate and empiéger a doublet.[1] Littré cites Old Occitan empedegar.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In its first record, the Oxford Psalter (early 12th century), it means to put someone in a position where he cannot act, to shackle, s'empêcher “to get entangled” is in Wace (1160–74).[4][3]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to prevent something from happening” is recorded in 1297, at Tournai.[4] Empêcher quelqu'un de with an infinitive appears in the 13th century and empêcher que in 1534, whence il n'empêche que, n'empêche que and familiar n'empêche.[4][3] The reflexive s'empêcher de (Montaigne, 1580) first meant “to abstain from” and now means “to refrain from”.[4][3]

The physical sense “to hamper” lasted into the 17th century (La Fontaine's wolf, empêché par son hoqueton) and survives in literature.[3][8] The participle empêché has meant overwhelmed, embarrassed, busy (1530), and in classical French femme empêchée a pregnant woman (1640).[3] Empêcheur de danser en rond “spoilsport” dates from 1867.[3]

Timeline

  • Early 12th century – Empedecad, Oxford Psalter.[4][2]
  • 1160–74 – S'empêcher “to get entangled”, Wace.[4]
  • 1297 – “To prevent something”.[4]
  • 1534 – Empêcher que.[4]
  • 1580 – S'empêcher de, Montaigne.[4]
  • 1867 – Empêcheur de danser en rond.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To prevent: to make (something) impossible or stop it happening: empêcher un mariage, empêcher que with the subjunctive.[8][4]
  2. Empêcher quelqu'un de: to stop someone from (doing): le bruit m'empêche de dormir.[4][1]
  3. Ne pas pouvoir s'empêcher de: not to be able to help (doing): il ne put s'empêcher de rire.[7][1]
  4. (literary) To hamper, encumber.[8][4]
  5. (Il) n'empêche que, n'empêche: all the same, nevertheless.[3][1]

Word family

  • empêchement
  • empêcheur
  • n'empêche

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 579a
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert