Etymologically
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percer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pɛʁ.se/[1]

Forms

percer[1] Old French percier, Picard percher.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French percier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiāre (“to bore through”),[5][6][7][8] formed on “pertusum”, the supine of classical Latin pertundō (“to bore through”), from per (“through”) and tundō (“to strike, beat”) (see contusion).[6][9] The old stressed forms such as “pertuise” gave Old French pertuisier, usual until the 16th century, whence pertuis.[6][7] Littré doubted the contraction of “pertuisier” to “percier” assumed by Ménage, Diez and Burguy.[3]

The word exists only in French and in a few Italian dialects; compare Italian pertugiare.[10][1] The Anglo-Norman “percer” corresponds to English pierce.[4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has Ma hanste est fraite, et percet mon escut, my lance is broken and my shield pierced: to go through something by making a hole.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it meant to wound with a pointed weapon (about 1112), and figuratively percer le cœur (1262);[6][5] percier le tonnel (1262) is to broach a cask.[5] About 1230 it meant to force a way through (percier les rens), and in the 14th century to see through, a sense that survives in perçant (1342).[5][6] The cold and rain percent from 1557 and 1606.[5]

From the 16th century the intransitive percer meant to break through, to show (1572, Amyot), and in the 17th century to pierce the ears for rings (1651), to lance an abscess (1665) and to fathom a mystery (Boileau, 1666).[5][6] Teeth percent from 1680, and, from 1756 (Voltaire) a person perce by rising from obscurity to fame.[5][6] Derivatives include perce-neige (1660), perce-oreille (1530) and perceuse (1894).[7][6]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Percier in the Chanson de Roland.[5]
  • c. 1230 – “To force a way through”.[5]
  • 1262 – Percier le tonnel; figurative use.[5]
  • 1342 – Perçant.[5]
  • 1530 – Perce-oreille.[7]
  • 1651 – Piercing the ears.[6]
  • 1660 – Perce-neige.[7]
  • 1666 – “To fathom”, in Boileau.[5]
  • 1680 – Of teeth.[5]
  • 1756 – “To make one's name”, in Voltaire.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pierce, drill, bore (a hole): percer un mur, percer un trou, se faire percer les oreilles.[10][1]
  2. To break through: percer les lignes ennemies, le soleil perce les nuages.[5][10]
  3. To make (an opening): percer une fenêtre, percer un tunnel.[3][10]
  4. To see through, fathom: percer un mystère, percer à jour.[6][1]
  5. (intransitive) To come through, show: ses dents percent, le jour perce.[5][11]
  6. (intransitive) To make a name for oneself: un jeune chanteur qui commence à percer.[1][5]
  7. (literary) To wound, run through: percer de coups.[12][6]

Word family

  • perce-neige
  • perce-oreille
  • perceuse
  • transpercer
  • perce
  • percée
  • percement
  • perçoir
  • pertuis
  • contusion
  • Latin pertundō
  • English pierce

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 8, 285a
  9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)