lasser

Forms

lasser^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin lassō (“to tire, weary”),^[2][3][4] from lassus (“tired”), the source of las.^[5][6][4] De Vaan reconstructs the adjective as Proto-Indo-European *lh₁d-to- (“tired”), with a d-enlargement of the root *leh₁- (“to let”).^[7] Cognate with Occitan lassar, Catalan llassar and Italian lassare.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Grand Robert, the GLLF and Rey date it to the Chanson de Roland (about 1100), used intransitively for “to grow tired”: Lasserat Charles.^[5][6][4][8] The TLFi's first record is later, in the Roman d'Eneas (about 1165), as a transitive verb “to tire physically” and as reflexive se lasser “to grow weary”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Old French used the verb and its derivatives of bodily tiredness.^[4] From the 13th century (Jean de Meun, about 1265) it came to mean “to tire by boring”, and in 1485 “to wear down, discourage”; this moral sense now prevails, and the physical one is old-fashioned.^[4][6][9][2] The construction se lasser de drove out classical se lasser à.^[4] The same shift is seen in the adjectives lassé (about 1160) and lassant (1680).^[4] The derivative délasser, rare before the 16th century, has gone its own way and means “to relax”.^[3][4]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Lasserat in the Chanson de Roland.^[5][8]
• c. 1165 – Transitive and reflexive uses in the Roman d'Eneas.^[2]
• c. 1265 – Jean de Meun uses it for moral weariness.^[6][4]
• 1485 – Lasser “to fill with weariness” in the Mystère du Viel Testament.^[2]
• 1680 – The adjective lassant appears.^[4]
• 1869 – The derivative inlassable appears.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. (dated) To tire physically, exhaust.^[9][2][10]
2. To weary by boring: ses discours lassent la salle.^[9][11]
3. To wear down, discourage: lasser la patience de ses amis.^[9][6]
4. Se lasser de: to grow tired of: elle ne se lasse pas de ce paysage.^[9][1]

Word family

• inlassable
• délasser

Related words

• las
• lassitude
• Latin lassus

Usage notes

The proverb tout passe, tout casse, tout lasse says that nothing lasts.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)