impulser

Forms

impulser^[1]

Etymology

The TLFi forms it from French impulsion + -er, the noun coming from impulsum, the supine of impellō (“to strike against, push, incite”).^[2] The Grand Robert and the GLLF instead make it borrowed from Late Latin impulsō (“to push against”), a frequentative of the same verb;^[3][4] Rey gives both explanations.^[5] The Late Latin verb is formed from in- and pulsō (“to push violently”), which is built on pulsus (“a blow”) and took the place of pellō as the more expressive word.^[5]

The modern sense, “to give impetus to”, was taken up again after 1945 from the English verb impulse, a word of the same origin that had been labelled archaic until about 1930.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its past participle impulsé is first found about 1500, in a French translation of Terence (amans impulses), meaning “incited, excited”.^[2][5][3]

Semantic evolution

The active verb is recorded in 1531, in an edition of Jean de Vignay's Miroir historial, meaning “to push (a body) forcefully”, and, from 1542, in Pierre de Changy, meaning “to urge, incite (someone)”.^[2][5][4] Littré still listed it, after Oudin's 16th-century dictionary, with the sense “to give the impulse”.^[7] The verb then fell out of use.^[5]

It was revived after 1945, under the influence of English to impulse, in the sense “to give impetus to, drive forward”, used especially of activities, policies and political movements; the Petit Robert and the Robert label it an anglicism.^[5][6][8] A recent derivative is impulseur “device that gives impulses” (1975).^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1500 – The past participle impulsé “incited” appears in a French translation of Terence.^[2]
• 1531 – Used of pushing a body forcefully.^[2][4]
• 1542 – Pierre de Changy uses it in the sense “to incite”.^[2][4]
• After 1945 – Revived from English to impulse in the sense “to give impetus to”.^[5][6]
• 1975 – The derivative impulseur is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To give impulsion to, drive forward: to get an activity, a policy or a movement going and help it expand, as in le nouveau directeur veut impulser la recherche.^[2][9][8][6]
2. To set a machine in motion, give it an impulse.^[2][4]
3. (obsolete) To push or direct in a certain direction, to incite.^[4][5]

Word family

• impulseur

Related words

• impulsion
• impulsif
• pouls
• Latin impellō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)