exprimer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɛk.spʁi.me/^[1]

Forms

exprimer^[1] Old French espriemer (late 12th century); exprimer is a learned remaking of the 14th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin exprimō (“to press out; to portray, express”), with a change of conjugation.^[4][2] The Latin verb is formed from ex- (“out”) and premō (“to press”).^[2][3][5] It ousted épreindre, the inherited outcome of the same Latin verb, which had the same senses in Old French and long survived in the sense “to squeeze”.^[2][4][6][1]

The Latin word also gave Occitan exprimar, Spanish exprimir and Italian esprimere.^[7] Palsgrave reports that in the 16th century it was pronounced “euzprimer”.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Le Fèvre's Lamentations (second half of the 14th century) use it for making known in words, the figurative sense of the Latin verb, which came first in French.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

The pronominal s'exprimer “to express oneself” became common from Montaigne (1580), who also has the concrete Latinism “to press out” (juice, a liquid), now old-fashioned except in technical use.^[2][4] In the mid-16th century it also meant “to signify”, of words, and in the 17th century “to convey through art”, on the stage.^[2]

From the 17th century it meant showing by one's behaviour (exprimer de l'audace, 1645, Tristan l'Hermite) and, in mathematics, serving to note a quantity or relation (before 1662).^[2][4] Its classical uses “to define (a thing)” (1672, Molière) and “to portray (a person)” (1676, Racine) have died out.^[2] Its derivatives include exprimable (about 1600) and inexprimable (1579).^[2]

Timeline

• late 12th century – Espriemer, in the Dialogues de saint Grégoire.^[5][3]
• 1314 – The noun expression is borrowed.^[2]
• 2nd half of the 14th century – “To make known in words”, in Jean Le Fèvre.^[4]
• 1580 – S'exprimer and “to press out”, in Montaigne.^[2]
• 1645 – Exprimer de l'audace, in Tristan l'Hermite.^[4]
• 1676 – “To portray (someone)”, in Racine's second preface to Britannicus.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To express (a thought, a feeling) in words: exprimer sa pensée clairement.^[8][1]
2. Of words or phrases, to mean, convey.^[8][2]
3. To show by a sign, a look or a work of art.^[8][5]
4. (science) To express (a quantity, a relation).^[8][2]
5. (reflexive) S'exprimer: to express oneself.^[1][2]
6. (technical) To press out (juice): exprimer le jus d'une orange.^[4][5]

Word family

• expressif
• exprimable
• inexprimable
• inexprimé

Related words

• expression
• épreindre
• presser
• Latin exprimō

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 o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert