fuser

Forms

fuser^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin fūsus (“melted, poured”), the past participle of fundō (“to pour, to melt”), made into a learned verb with the ending -er.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin verb is also the source of the inherited fondre.^[2][3] The sense “to shoot out”, found from 1868, is due to fusée “rocket”: the TLFi treats it as a separate derivative of that noun, and Rey as the influence of the noun on the older verb.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Maurice Scève uses it in 1544, transitively, for “to make melt”.^[2][6][7]

Semantic evolution

The verb was first a technical word.^[2][3] After “to make melt” (1544) it meant “to crumble, break up” (1562, Du Pinet's Pliny, of marl), and before 1743 it was said of pus that spreads.^[2][3] The Encyclopédie (1757) uses it of saltpetre that decomposes with a crackling sound on hot coals; it meant “to spread while melting” by 1802, and figuratively “to spread little by little” from 1866.^[2][3][7] In pyrotechnics it was said of powder that burns without exploding (before 1872, Gautier), and the participle fusant (1845) became an artillery term for a shell that bursts in the air (1916, Barbusse).^[2]

Under the influence of fusée, Jules Verne used it in 1868 for a column of fire that shot up into the sky, and since 1877 it has also been said of cries and laughter that burst out suddenly.^[2][3] The same influence gave the popular senses “to vomit” (1901) and “to defecate”.^[3]

Timeline

• 1544 – Scève's Délie has it in the sense “to make melt”.^[2]
• 1562 – Du Pinet's translation of Pliny uses it for “to crumble”.^[2]
• 1757 – The Encyclopédie applies it to saltpetre decomposing in heat.^[2][3]
• 1845 – The participle fusant and the noun fusement are recorded.^[2][3]
• 1868 – Jules Verne uses it for “to shoot up”, after fusée.^[2][3]
• 1877 – Richepin uses it of sounds bursting out.^[2]
• 1901 – The popular sense “to vomit” appears.^[3]
• 1916 – Barbusse uses fusant as an artillery noun.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (technical) To melt and spread slowly;^[8][2][7] (chemistry) of some salts, to decompose with a crackle in heat;^[8][2][7] (pyrotechnics) to burn without detonation.^[8][2][7]
2. (figurative) To spread little by little.^[8][3]
3. To spurt or shoot out like a fusée.^[8][2]
4. (figurative) Of cries, laughter or remarks, to burst out suddenly: des rires fusèrent dans la salle.^[8][2][1]

Word family

• fusement
• fusant

Related words

• fondre
• fusée
• fusible
• Latin fundō

References

1. ^ a b c 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 u 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 i j k l m 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 866a
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert