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
- To throw, hurl: lancer une pierre, lancer le javelot.[10][1]
- To fire, launch (a missile, rocket, satellite).[10][11]
- To give out, let out: lancer un cri, lancer un regard, « Assez ! » lança-t-il.[10][1]
- To launch, start: lancer une entreprise, lancer un produit, lancer un moteur.[1][5]
- To make known, bring into fashion: lancer une mode, lancer un acteur.[5][3]
- To launch (a ship); (hunting) to start (game).[5][4]
- Se lancer: to rush, leap, se lancer dans, to embark on.[4][5]
- (regional, familiar) Of a pain, to throb: ça me lance.[5]
Noun
Word family
- lancement
- lanceur
- lancée
- relancer
- relance
- élancer
- élan
- lance-flammes
- lance-pierre
Related words
- lance
- Latin lancea
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 153b
- ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
- ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)