empiéger

Forms

empiéger^[1] Old French empegier (early 13th century) and empigier (about 1223).^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French empegier (“to catch in a trap”), inherited from Latin impedicō, with its stem remade after piège.^[2][1][3] The same Latin verb gave empêcher, of which this verb is a doublet.^[2][1] The Grand Robert, the GLLF and Littré instead explain the verb as formed from French en- + piège with a verb ending.^[4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The form empiéger is first found at the end of the 13th century, in some manuscripts of the Miserere of the Renclus de Moiliens, where others have the older empegier “to catch in a trap”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The GLLF dates the sense “to catch in a trap” to about 1380 (the Aalma glossary), as a past participle, and the infinitive to 1606 (Crespin).^[5] By analogy the verb came to mean “to entangle, hamper”, as when Lamartine (1851) wrote of branches in which blackbirds catch their wings.^[2][5] A figurative sense, “to deceive with fine words or false promises”, is found before 1797 in Beaumarchais.^[5] The reflexive s'empiéger “to fall into a trap” is used figuratively by Alexandre Arnoux (1926).^[2] The Treasury of the French Language and the GLLF label the verb rare.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1200–1225 – Old French empegier “to catch in a trap” is used by the Renclus de Moiliens.^[2]
• Late 13th century – The form empiéger appears in some manuscripts of the same text.^[2]
• c. 1380 – The Aalma glossary has the past participle.^[5][4]
• 1606 – Crespin records the infinitive.^[5]
• Before 1797 – Beaumarchais uses it for deceiving with false promises.^[5]
• 1851 – Lamartine uses it for being entangled.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (rare) To catch in a trap; to snare.^[2][5][1]
2. (literary) To entangle or hamper, as if in a trap.^[2][5]
3. (figurative, rare) To deceive with fine words or false promises.^[5][2]
4. (reflexive) s'empiéger: to fall into a trap.^[2]

Related words

• piège
• empêcher
• Latin impedicō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 578a
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette