gober

Forms

gober^[1]

Etymology

The TLFi derives it from Gaulish *gobbo- (“beak, mouth”), with the verb ending -er.^[2] Bloch and Wartburg and Rey give an intermediate Gallo-Romance *gob (“mouth, beak”), also behind gobet “mouthful”, and Rey suggests the influence of an expressive root *gobb- (“swollen”), sometimes proposed for gobelet.^[3][4][5] The Gaulish word is from Proto-Celtic *gobbos (“muzzle, snout, beak”).^[1]

Celtic cognates include Irish gob (“mouth, beak”) and Scottish Gaelic gob (“beak, bill”);^[1][6] Littré adds Welsh gwp (“beak”), and Wiktionary compares the English word gob.^[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The reflexive soi gober “to boast” is found as early as the 13th century.^[3][4][7] The transitive verb, meaning to swallow or devour, is first recorded in Robert Estienne's dictionary in 1549.^[2][8][9]

Semantic evolution

From swallowing without chewing, the verb passed to believing without examination (1650, Retz), as one swallows a story;^[4][8] Molière has gober le morceau (1662) and gober l'hameçon (1669) for letting oneself be fooled, and Furetière records gober les mouches “to waste time daydreaming” in 1690.^[8][4] That phrase has gone out of use but lives on in the compound gobe-mouches.^[4]

In 1846 familiar French began to use it for liking someone, mostly in the negative (ne pas pouvoir gober “not to be able to stand”), and se gober came to mean “to be full of oneself” (1856), recalling the oldest use of the verb.^[4][2] In recent French slang it is also used of swallowing drugs such as ecstasy.^[1]

Timeline

• 13th century – Soi gober “to boast”.^[3][4]
• 1548 – Gobe-mouches is recorded.^[3]
• 1549 – Robert Estienne records gober “to devour”.^[2][8]
• 1650 – Retz uses it for “to believe without examination”.^[4][8]
• 1662 – Gober le morceau in Molière.^[8][4]
• 1690 – Furetière records gober les mouches.^[8][4]
• 1846 – It is used for “to like (someone)”.^[2][4]
• 1856 – Se gober “to be conceited”.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To swallow quickly, sucking in and usually without chewing: Il a gobé un œuf cru.^[9][2][1]
2. (familiar) To eat greedily, hardly chewing.^[2][9]
3. (figurative, familiar) To believe without examination, to swallow a story: Elle gobe tout ce que raconte son voisin.^[9][2][1]
4. Gober les mouches: to idle away one's time daydreaming.^[2][6]
5. (dated, familiar) To like or appreciate someone, mostly in the negative.^[9][2]
6. Se gober (obsolete): to have a high opinion of oneself.^[9][4]
7. (slang, France) To take a drug by mouth.^[1]

Word family

• gobeur
• gobage
• gobe-mouches
• dégobiller

Related words

• gobet
• gaber
• English gob

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ 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
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert