semer

Forms

semer^[1] Anglo-Norman also semmer and seimer.^[2] Littré gives dialect forms such as Norman sumer and eastern sener.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin sēminō (“to produce, to beget, to sow”),^[4][5][6][7] a verb derived from sēmen (“seed”), itself from serō (“to plant, to sow”).^[8][9] In Late Latin (4th century) the verb also meant figuratively “to spread, to propagate”.^[4][8] It replaced the older verb, whose forms were awkward and less clearly linked to the noun for seed and to sēmentis (“sowing”).^[4][6] Rey and the Petit Robert trace that older verb to an Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *sē- (“to sow”), which the Petit Robert also finds in English sow, German säen and English seed.^[8][9]

Cognate with Romanian semăna, Italian seminare, Occitan semenar, Catalan sembrar, Spanish sembrar and Portuguese semear.^[9][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is first found in Philippe de Thaon's Comput (1119), used without an object: arer e laburer E en terre semer, “to plough and till and sow in the earth”.^[4] The Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) has it for sowing a field, and Wace's Brut (1155) for sowing corn: Blez semerent, “they sowed wheat”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, as in Latin, is to scatter seed on the ground or put it into the earth, and by extension to sow a field.^[8] In many regions, chiefly the West and Centre of France, semer is also said of planting potatoes.^[8]

From the 12th century it was used in images, and by the end of that century for scattering small things here and there;^[4][8] semé de “strewn with” is found in Chrétien de Troyes (1176–1181).^[4][8] The figurative sense “to spread” came early: a secret about 1180, writings in 1216, and discord and strife in Jean de Meun's Roman de la Rose (1269–1278).^[4] Semer l'argent meant “to be lavish” (about 1330), and several proverbial phrases have died out, such as semer en terre ingrate, to do good to someone who shows no gratitude (1690).^[8]

In 19th-century slang (1867) semer meant “to throw down” and then “to give someone the slip”; it is now the familiar word for shaking off a pursuer, and in sport (1904) for leaving the other competitors behind.^[8][4][11]

Timeline

• 1119 – Philippe de Thaon's Comput uses semer for sowing.^[4]
• First half of the 12th century – The Cambridge Psalter uses it for sowing fields.^[4]
• 1155 – Wace writes Blez semerent, “they sowed wheat”.^[4]
• 1176–1181 – Chrétien de Troyes uses semé de “strewn with”.^[4]
• c. 1180 – The Proverbe au vilain uses it for spreading a secret.^[4]
• 1269–1278 – Jean de Meun writes of semant descorz, sowing discord.^[4]
• c. 1330 – Semer l'argent “to be lavish” is recorded.^[8]
• 1867 – Delvau records semer quelqu'un “to get rid of someone”.^[4][11]
• 1904 – The sporting sense “to leave behind” is recorded.^[8][11]

Meanings

Verb

1. To sow, to scatter or put seed into prepared ground: semer des lentilles, semer à la volée (by hand, broadcast).^[4][9][1]
2. (rare) To sow a field with seed.^[9][4]
3. To scatter or strew here and there: semer des miettes sur la table, and (literary) semer de “to strew with”.^[9][8]
4. (figurative) To spread, to propagate (rumours, ideas, disorder): semer la zizanie.^[9][1]
5. (familiar) To shake off a pursuer or companion, to give someone the slip, and in sport to leave the others behind.^[9][1][8]

Word family

• semeur
• semis
• semoir
• clairsemé
• parsemer

Related words

• disséminer
• inséminer
• saison
• semailles
• semence
• séminaire
• séminal
• Latin sēminō

Usage notes

The proverb qui sème le vent récolte la tempête (“he who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind”) uses the figurative sense.^[9][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
3. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ 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
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 433b
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
11. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse