Etymologically
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presser

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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
  • 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