lancer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /lɑ̃.se/^[1]

Forms

lancer^[1] Old French lancier (1080); lancer from about 1170.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French lancier, inherited from Late Latin lanceāre (“to wield a lance”), formed on lancea (“lance”) (whence lance).^{[4][5][6][2][1][7]}

Cognate with Italian lanciare, Old Occitan lansar, Catalan llançar, Spanish lanzar and Portuguese lançar.^[1][8] The verbs German lancieren and Dutch lanceren were borrowed from French.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it means to hurl a weapon: lançuns a lui, puis sil laissums ester “let us throw our spears at him, then leave him be”.^[4][8][5]

Semantic evolution

In the 12th century se lancer meant to rush forward (about 1170), and lancer to launch a boat (about 1180); the Old French intransitive use of the throbbing heart was taken over by élancer, though ça me lance survives regionally and in Belgium.^[4][5] It was used of looks (about 1270), of starting game in hunting (1481–90), of uttering words with vigour (1578) and of launching a ship from the slipway (1530).^[4][5] Se lancer dans “to embark on” dates from 1790; in the 19th century it meant to promote a book (1822) or a person in society (before 1825), and later to start a machine or an engine.^[4][5][9] The noun un lancer (1735) is a throw, and in athletics the throwing events.^[2][10]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Lancier a weapon, Chanson de Roland.^[4]
• c. 1170 – Se lancer, Chrétien de Troyes.^[4]
• c. 1180 – To launch a boat.^[4]
• c. 1270 – Lanchier dous regars.^[4]
• 1578 – To utter words, Garnier.^[4]
• 1790 – Se lancer dans.^[4]
• 1822 – Lancer un livre, Stendhal.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To throw, hurl: lancer une pierre, lancer le javelot.^[10][1]
2. To fire, launch (a missile, rocket, satellite).^[10][11]
3. To give out, let out: lancer un cri, lancer un regard, « Assez ! » lança-t-il.^[10][1]
4. To launch, start: lancer une entreprise, lancer un produit, lancer un moteur.^[1][5]
5. To make known, bring into fashion: lancer une mode, lancer un acteur.^[5][3]
6. To launch (a ship); (hunting) to start (game).^[5][4]
7. Se lancer: to rush, leap, se lancer dans, to embark on.^[4][5]
8. (regional, familiar) Of a pain, to throb: ça me lance.^[5]

Noun

1. A throw, (athletics) the throwing events, (fishing) casting: pêche au lancer.^[10][11]

Word family

• lancement
• lanceur
• lancée
• relancer
• relance
• élancer
• élan
• lance-flammes
• lance-pierre

Related words

• lance
• Latin lancea

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 153b
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)