grossir

Forms

grossir^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French gros + -ir.^[2][1][3][4] Gros is from Late Latin grossus (“thick”), a popular Late Latin word that replaced crassus.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, in a manuscript of Fierabras dated 1317, uses it intransitively of a river that grows and swells: Veissies si Flagot et grossir et enfler.^[2][6] Bloch and Wartburg date the verb to the 12th century, the Petit Robert to the end of the 12th century.^[5][7]

Semantic evolution

From “to become big, to swell”, the reflexive took the sense “to become larger”, of a sum of money, in 1368.^[2][6] In the mid-16th century the transitive verb came to mean “to make stronger, more intense”, as in grossir sa voix (Amyot).^[2][4] Montaigne used it for “to make seem bigger, to exaggerate” (1580) and “to make bulkier” (1595).^[2][4] Corneille gave it the sense “to swell the numbers of, to strengthen by joining” (1647), and applied the intransitive verb figuratively to anger (1644–45).^[2] With the progress of optics it came to mean “to make appear larger” (1671), whence the adjective grossissant.^[2][4]

Timeline

• 1317 – A manuscript of Fierabras uses it of a river swelling.^[2]
• 1368 – A letter of Charles V uses the reflexive of a sum that has grown.^[2][6]
• mid-16th century – Amyot writes grossir sa voix “to deepen one's voice”.^[2][8]
• 1560 – The noun grossissement appears, as crossissement.^[4]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses it for “to exaggerate”.^[2]
• 1647 – Corneille uses it for “to swell the ranks of”.^[2]
• 1671 – Pomey records the optical sense “to magnify”.^[2][9]
• 1763 – The adjective grossissant is first recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. (intransitive) To put on weight, to get fatter: Il a grossi de quatre kilos pendant l'hiver.^[7][10][1]
2. (intransitive) Of things, to grow bigger, to swell: Le torrent a grossi après l'orage.^[7][10]
3. (intransitive) To increase in number, size or intensity; figuratively, to grow in scope, as a rumour does.^[7][2]
4. (transitive) To make bigger or larger; to swell a number or group: grossir les rangs “to swell the ranks”.^[9][1][8]
5. (transitive) To make look bigger, to magnify: Ce pull te grossit;^[9][2] Le microscope grossit les cellules.^[9][2]
6. (transitive) To exaggerate: Les journaux ont grossi l'incident.^[9][2]

Word family

• dégrossir
• grossissant
• grossissement
• regrossir

Related words

• gros
• grosseur
• grossesse
• engrosser
• Latin grossus

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 p q 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Godefroy, Frédéric (1881–1902), Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle, 10 vols., Paris: Vieweg / Bouillon
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)