masturber

Forms

masturber^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin masturbor (“to practise onanism”),^{[2][3][4][1][5]} a vulgar word in Latin, also found as masturbāre.^[3][4] Rey reports that it has been explained as a possible distortion of a Greek verb meaning “to prostitute”, derived from a word for a go-between, itself of obscure origin.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi, Rey and the Grand Robert first find it in Sade's La Vérité (about 1787).^[2][3][4] Bloch and Wartburg and the Petit Robert date it to 1800,^[6][7] the GLLF to Boiste's dictionary of 1800 for the reflexive and to Bescherelle (1845) for the transitive verb.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The verb, transitive and reflexive, means to give sexual pleasure to someone or to oneself by touching.^[3] It is also used mockingly of a sterile, self-indulgent intellectual effort, as in se masturber le cerveau.^[3][7][2] The word is fairly common, but cruder synonyms such as branler are used far more.^[3] The noun masturbation is older than the verb (1580, Montaigne).^[3][6]

Timeline

• 1580 – Masturbation appears in Montaigne.^[3][6]
• c. 1787 – Sade uses masturber and masturbateur.^[2][3]
• 1800 – Boiste records se masturber.^[8]
• 1845 – Bescherelle records the transitive verb.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive) To masturbate someone, to bring them to orgasm by touching their genitals.^[2][7][1]
2. (reflexive) Se masturber: to masturbate oneself.^[7][1][9]
3. (figurative, familiar) Se masturber le cerveau, l’esprit: to indulge in sterile intellectual reflection.^[7][2]

Word family

• masturbatoire

Related words

• branler
• Latin masturbor

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 462b
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette