presser

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pʁɛ.se/^[1]
• IPA: /pʁe.se/^[1]

Forms

presser^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin pressāre (“to press”),^{[2][3][4][5][6][1]} a word avoided by classical prose but used by Plautus and the Augustan poets; it is an intensive formed on pressum, the supine of premō (“to press, squeeze; to press hard on, harass”).^[2][3][7] Rey finds no secure Indo-European etymology for the Latin verb.^[3] The noun presse is recorded earlier (1080), which suggests that the verb is older than its first record.^[3][4]

Compare Italian pressare.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Roman d'Eneas (about 1160) has it in the moral sense “to torment, overwhelm”: la morz la presse et argüe “death presses and harries her”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The physical sense appears about 1200, for pressing fruit to extract the juice (the Dialogue Grégoire: pressoient olive el pressoir); the reflexive meant “to crowd together” at the same date.^[2] A charter of 1302 has presser quelqu'un de “to urge someone to”, and Joinville (1306) “to attack vigorously”.^[2][3] The time element came later: pressant “urgent” (Robert Estienne, 1538), le temps nous presse and pressé “in a hurry” (Olivier de Magny, 1557), and se presser “to hurry” (Madame de Sévigné, 1677).^[2] The old sense “to oppress” passed in part to oppresser.^[3]

Familiar phrases include presser quelqu'un comme un citron “to squeeze someone dry” and se presser le citron “to rack one's brains”.^[9][1]

Timeline

• 1080 – The noun presse, Chanson de Roland.^[4]
• c. 1160 – “To torment”, Eneas.^[2]
• c. 1200 – “To press (fruit)”, se presser “to crowd”.^[2]
• 1302 – Presser quelqu'un de.^[2]
• 1306 – “To attack vigorously”, Joinville.^[2]
• 1538 – Pressant “urgent”.^[2]
• 1557 – Le temps nous presse, pressé “in a hurry”.^[2]
• 1677 – Se presser “to hurry”, Madame de Sévigné.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To squeeze, press (to extract juice): presser un citron, orange pressée.^[9][1]
2. To press on, push: presser un bouton; to hug, clasp: presser quelqu'un contre son cœur.^[9][2]
3. To urge, put pressure on: presser quelqu'un de partir; to harass: presser l'ennemi.^[9][1]
4. To hurry, speed up: presser le pas; to hurry (someone).^[9][1]
5. (intransitive) To be urgent: le temps presse, rien ne presse.^[2][9]
6. Se presser: to hurry; to crowd, throng: la foule se presse à l'entrée.^[1][2]

Word family

• pressant
• pressé
• presse
• pressoir
• presse-citron
• presse-papier
• empresser

Related words

• pression
• oppresser
• imprimer

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 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 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 18, 98a
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert