Etymologically
Log in

fumer

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

fumer1 to smoke

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fy.me/[1]

Forms

fumer[1]

Etymology

The verb “to smoke” is inherited from Latin fūmō (“to give off smoke or steam”), derived from fūmus (“smoke”), which has no known origin according to Rey.[2][3][4][5][1] Littré related the Latin root to Ancient Greek θυμός (thumós) and Ancient Greek θύω (thúō, “to offer by burning”), and Wiktionary traces “fūmus” to Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós.[6][1]

Cognate with Romanian fuma, Italian fumare, Old Occitan fumar, Catalan fumar, Spanish fumar and Portuguese fumar.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Early in the 12th century the Voyage de saint Brendan has it for giving off smoke or vapour; the Oxford Psalter (about 1120) has toche les monz, e il fumerunt “touch the mountains and they will smoke”.[2][6][8]

Semantic evolution

In 1178 the Roman de Renart uses it of a kitchen letting out smoke.[2] At the end of the 14th century it meant “to fume, get angry” (se fumer, 1456–67), and transitively it meant “to smoke out” (1565), then to cure food in smoke (Cotgrave, 1611); verres fumés for watching an eclipse are recorded in 1724.[2][3]

The sense “to smoke tobacco” appears in 1664, in Thévenot's account of a journey to the Levant, and became the main one, as in défense de fumer and, at the end of the 20th century, fumer tue on cigarette packets.[2][3] Heavy smokers smoke comme une locomotive (1871) or comme un pompier, the smoke being that of the fire the firemen put out.[3] Smoking drugs gave fumette in the 1970s.[3]

Timeline

  • early 12th century – To give off smoke, Voyage de saint Brendan.[2]
  • 1178 – Of a kitchen, Roman de Renart.[2]
  • late 14th century – To fume with anger, Deschamps.[2]
  • 1611 – To cure in smoke, Cotgrave.[2]
  • 1664 – To smoke tobacco, Thévenot.[2]
  • 1871 – Fumer comme une locomotive.[3]
  • 1970s – Fumette.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (intransitive) To give off smoke: la cheminée fume, les cendres fument encore.[9][1]
  2. (intransitive) To give off steam: potage qui fume.[9][1]
  3. To smoke (tobacco or another substance): fumer une cigarette, fumer comme un pompier, to smoke like a chimney, défense de fumer.[3][10]
  4. To cure in smoke: fumer du saumon, verres fumés.[2][1]
  5. (familiar, dated) To fume, be furious.[2][6]

Word family

  • fumeur
  • fumette
  • fumoir
  • enfumer
  • fumet
  • fumeux
  • fumiste

fumer2 to manure

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fy.me/[1]

Forms

fumer (transitive)[4] Old French femer (end of the 12th century); fumer from the 14th century.[4][9]

Etymology

The verb “to manure” is inherited from Old French femer, from popular Latin inherited from Vulgar Latin *fimō, derived from fimus (“dung”) (see fumier), and was altered to “fumer” by attraction of the verb “to smoke”.[4][9][11] Littré calls “fumer” a popular alteration, like “fumelle” for “femelle” or “sumer” for “semer”.[6]

Compare Old Occitan femar and Catalan femar.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Femer is first found at the end of the 12th century, meaning to spread dung on land.[4][9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To manure, spread dung or fertiliser on land: fumer un champ.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 855a
  6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 545a