perforer

Forms

perforer^[1] Old French parforer.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin perforō (“to bore through, pierce”),^[2][3][4][1] first in the form parforer, with the Old French prefix par-.^[2][3] The Latin verb is formed from per- (“through”) and forō (“to bore”), the source of forer;^[3][5][6] it also meant figuratively “to pierce with its rays, penetrate”.^[3] Bloch and Wartburg and the Petit Robert call it a word of Latin medical language.^[4][7]

The date of the first record differs between the sources: the TLFi gives about 1200 (Moralités sur Job), the GLLF about 1170 (Livre des Rois), the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert 1130, and Bloch and Wartburg the 11th century.^{[2][5][8][7][4]}

Cognate with Occitan perforar and Italian perforare.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In its first record, about 1200, in the Moralités sur Job, parforer already means “to pierce right through with one or more holes”;^[2][3] Littré quotes from the Job text À un bou perforras sa masselle “you will pierce his jaw with a ring”.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The concrete sense has stayed the main one;^[6] Ambroise Paré used the verb in surgery in the 16th century.^[6] A rare figurative use, of a heart pierced by a woman's eyes, appears in 1867.^[2][3]

From 1876 the verb was used in telegraphy and then in mechanical data processing for punching holes at set places in cards or paper tape, as in cartes perforées “punched cards”.^[2][3] The participles became adjectives and nouns in anatomy: perforant and perforé named muscles of the fingers in 1748,^[2] and perforant was later applied to projectiles that pierce armour (obus perforant, 1962).^[2]

The family grew with the technique: perforateur (once in 1552, then from 1813), perforage (1876) and perforeuse.^[3][2]

Timeline

• c. 1200 – Parforer appears in the Moralités sur Job.^[2]
• 1552 – The adjective perforateur is recorded once.^[3]
• 1748 – Perforant and perforé name muscles of the fingers.^[2]
• 1867 – Léon Dierx uses the verb figuratively.^[2][3]
• 1876 – It is used of punching cards in telegraphy;^[2][3] perforage is recorded in mining.^[2][3]
• 1962 – Balle perforante and obus perforant are recorded by the Robert.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To perforate, pierce right through with one or more holes: Le clou a perforé le pneu.^[7][2][5]
2. (pronominal, medicine) se perforer: (of an organ) to become perforated.^[2]
3. (technical) To punch small regular holes in cards, tape or tickets.^[7][1]

Word family

• perforateur
• perforatrice
• perforeuse
• perforage
• perforant

Related words

• perforation
• forer
• Latin perforō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert