engouffrer

Forms

engouffrer^[1] Old French engoufler (late 12th century) and engoufer (13th century); the form engouffrer appears in the late 15th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French en- + gouffre + -er.^[3][2][1] The oldest form, engoufler, is recorded in the late 12th century, and engoufer in the 13th.^[2][5][3] The base gouffre goes back to Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, gulf, hollow”), which passed into Latin as colpus.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 13th-century Tournoiement d'Enfer engoufer means to make something disappear as into a chasm, to devour it.^[3] The GLLF and the DHLF date the older form engoufler to the late 12th century, in the sense “to eat greedily”.^[4][7]

Semantic evolution

The figurative sense of eating greedily is the oldest one recorded.^[7][4] The concrete sense, “to draw down into a chasm”, is found before 1525, in Jean Lemaire de Belges.^[7][4] The pronominal s'engouffrer was used of being swallowed up by a chasm (1538) and then of rushing quickly into a deep place or a passage (1541, Calvin).^[7][3]

In 1694 the Académie recorded the figurative sense of swallowing up wealth or money, as a chasm would.^[3][7] The DHLF notes that, as the extended and figurative uses grew, speakers lost the link with gouffre.^[7] Of winds and currents rushing into a narrow opening, Littré gives le vent s'engouffrait dans la cheminée.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1165 – Engoufler appears in Marie de France.^[4]
• 13th century – Engoufer “to make disappear as into a chasm” in the Tournoiement d'Enfer.^[3]
• Before 1525 – Jean Lemaire de Belges uses it for “to engulf in a chasm”.^[4][7]
• 1538 – S'engouffrer “to be swallowed up by a chasm”.^[7]
• 1541 – Calvin uses s'engouffrer for rushing into a deep place.^[3][8]
• 1686 – The derivative engouffrement is recorded.^[7]
• 1694 – The Académie records the sense “to swallow up wealth”.^[3][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. (literary) To swallow up, carry down as into a chasm or abyss.^[9][10]
2. (familiar) To eat greedily and in large amounts, to gobble: il engouffra trois croissants.^[9][11][10]
3. (figurative) To swallow up a fortune or money.^[9][10]
4. (pronominal) s'engouffrer: to be swallowed up, to vanish into a chasm: le torrent s'engouffre dans une gorge.^[9][10]
5. (pronominal) s'engouffrer: to rush violently into an opening or passage: les voyageurs s'engouffrèrent dans le train.^[9][8]

Word family

• engouffrement

Related words

• gouffre
• golfe
• Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos)

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 925b
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)