oser

Pronunciation

• IPA: /o.ze/^[1]

Forms

oser^[1] Old French auser (about 980), oser from 1080.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin ausāre (“to dare”), formed on “ausus”, the past participle of audeō (“to dare”).^{[4][5][6][2][1][7]} Bloch and Wartburg explain the new verb by the irregularity of “audēre”, whose perfect was “ausus sum”; the regular first-conjugation type was easier.^[6] Rey connects “audeō” with avidus (“greedy”) and an original sense “to desire, be willing”, still seen in the polite formula “sī audēs” (shortened to “sōdēs”) “if you please”.^[5] The same Latin family gave audace and avide.^[8][5]

Cognate with Italian osare, Old Occitan ausar, Spanish osar and Portuguese ousar.^[9][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) it means “to have the courage to”: il no l'auseren deramar; the Chanson de Roland has ki l'osast querre.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Early in the 12th century it also meant “to have the effrontery to”, especially in a challenge or threat (vous ne m'oseriés pas suirre, early 13th century, si tu l'oses!).^[4][5] From 1485 it is used as a polite precaution, j'ose dire; the absolute use, “to be bold”, especially in love, is found in 1480.^[4][5] With a noun object, oser quelque chose “to venture on”, it dates from 1561.^[4] The participle osé meant “bold” in Wace (about 1155); “risky” (1823) and “daring, risqué” (1856; of a remark, Maupassant 1885) are 19th-century.^[4][5] In Switzerland oser means “to be allowed to” (1724).^[5][1]

Timeline

• Late 10th century – Auser, Passion de Clermont.^[4]
• c. 1100 – Oser, Chanson de Roland.^[4]
• c. 1155 – Osé “bold”, Wace.^[4]
• 1480 – Absolute use, Coquillart.^[4]
• c. 1485 – J'ose dire.^[4]
• 1561 – Oser quelque chose.^[4]
• 1856 – Osé “risqué”.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To dare: je n'ose pas lui parler, il a osé me contredire.^[8][1]
2. (literary) To venture, attempt: oser une démarche.^[8][2]
3. In polite formulas: si j'ose dire, j'ose espérer que.^[10][11]
4. (Switzerland) To be allowed to, may.^[1][5]

Word family

• osé
• oseur

Related words

• audace
• audacieux
• avide

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ 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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b 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. 25, 1041a
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)