endormir

Forms

endormir^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin indormīre (“to sleep on; to be careless”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} which in Late Latin also meant “to go numb” (of a limb); the Latin verb is formed from in- and dormiō (“to sleep”) (see dormir).^[2][3] The Grand Robert adds that the French verb was shaped after the simple verb, and the GLLF and Littré simply analyse it as en- and that verb.^[5][7][8]

Compare Old Occitan endormir and Italian indormire.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has the past participle: Endormiz est, ne puet mais en avant “he is asleep, he can go no further”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

The reflexive s'endormir “to fall asleep” is in the Couronnement de Louis (about 1135).^[2] Chrétien de Troyes's Cligès (1176) uses the feminine andormie for a sleeping draught, later (1572) a name of henbane.^[2][3] The Livre des Rois (about 1170) has endormi “numb”, of an arm tired from striking, and Benoît de Sainte-Maure (about 1175) the figurative “to lull, deceive” (od beiau parler endormir).^[2][8]

S'endormir “to die” dates from the 13th century and survives in literary phrases; the slang endormir “to kill” (Vadé, 1753) has gone.^[2][3] In the 16th century the reflexive meant “to lose one's force” (Gringore, before 1539) and “to subside”, of a feeling (Belleau, before 1577), and Montaigne (1580) has endormir un mal; in medicine the verb is used of inducing sleep (before 1577; revived in the 19th century).^[2][3] Boileau (1660) uses it for boring an audience.^[2][3]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Endormiz, Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• c. 1135 – S'endormir, Couronnement de Louis.^[2]
• c. 1170 – Endormi “numb”, Livre des Rois.^[2]
• c. 1175 – “To deceive”, Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^[2]
• 1176 – Andormie “sleeping draught”, Chrétien de Troyes.^[2]
• 13th century – S'endormir “to die”.^[2]
• Before 1577 – Medical sense, “to subside”.^[2]
• 1660 – “To bore”, Boileau.^[2]
• 1753 – Slang “to kill”, Vadé.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To put to sleep, send to sleep: bercer un enfant pour l'endormir.^[9][1]
2. To put under, anaesthetize; to hypnotize.^[9][7]
3. To bore (someone) to sleep: orateur qui endort son auditoire.^[9][2]
4. To dull, soothe (a pain or feeling).^[9][3]
5. To lull, put off one's guard; to hoodwink.^[2][7]
6. S'endormir: to fall asleep, (figurative) to slacken, let one's attention lapse, (literary) to die: s'endormir du dernier sommeil.^[1][3]

Word family

• endormi
• endormissement
• endormeur
• rendormir

Related words

• dormir

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 l m n o p q r s t 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 e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b 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. 3, 141b
7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert