secourir

Forms

secourir^[1] Old French sucurre, secorre and secourre, with forms in -eu- such as sequeure;^[2][3][4] scourir in 1410.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French secorre, earlier sucurre, inherited from Latin succurrō (“to run under, to run to help”),^[3][2][4][1] reshaped after courir at the end of the 14th century, as corre became courir.^[3][4][5] The Latin verb is formed with sub- (“under”) on currō (“to run”).^[3][2] Bloch and Wartburg explain the Old French forms with ⟨eu⟩ by the influence of sequeurre (“to shake”).^[4]

Cognate with Italian soccorrere, Spanish socorrer, Catalan socórrer and Old Occitan secorre.^[6][7][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has succurre for coming to someone's aid.^[3][6] The refashioned secourir à (quelqu'un) is first found in Eustache Deschamps at the end of the 14th century.^[3]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the verb was built with à and meant to bring help to someone; it also took over the Latin sense of remedying a need (1422, Alain Chartier).^[3][2] The transitive secourir quelqu'un, to help someone in need, appears in Rabelais (1534); Amyot uses it for defending laws and liberty (1559), and Montaigne for coming to the rescue of someone in danger (1580).^[2][8][3] In the mid-15th century it was also used for relieving a pain.^[3] All these uses are still current.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Succurre appears in the Chanson de Roland.^[3]
• c. 1150 – Secorre in the Charroi de Nîmes.^[3]
• Late 14th century – Eustache Deschamps writes secourir.^[3]
• 1410 – Scourir in a Tournai document.^[3][2]
• 1422 – Alain Chartier uses it for remedying a need.^[3]
• 1534 – Rabelais uses it transitively.^[2][8]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses it for rescuing someone in danger.^[2][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To help (someone) out of a pressing danger, to rescue: secourir un blessé.^[9][10]
2. To assist (someone) in need; to succour.^[10][3][1]
3. (dated) To relieve (a need or hardship).^[10][3]

Word family

• secourable
• secours
• secouriste
• secourisme

Related words

• courir
• Latin succurrō

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert