tamponner

Forms

tamponner^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French tampon + -er.^[2][3][4][1] An isolated 15th-century record is followed by continuous use from 1547.^[4][5][6] According to Bloch and Wartburg, the noun is a nasalized variant of tapon (“pad of cloth”) (1382), from Frankish *tappo.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, from the 15th century, is in a document cited by Godefroy, where it means to drive a plug into something.^[2][6] The sense “to stop up with a plug” follows in 1547.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, driving a plug into an object, died out, and “to stop up with a plug” is now archaic; the builders' sense “to drive pegs into a wall or joist” is recorded from 1660 or 1676.^[2][6][7] Most of the modern senses date from the end of the 18th century: spreading a liquid with a pad (1797), treating a wound with a pad to stop bleeding (1797), and wiping or cleaning with a pad (1845).^[6][2]

From the buffers of railway wagons came “to strike with the buffers” (1872) and then “to collide violently”, first of trains and later of any vehicle, with the reflexive se tamponner (1877).^[2][6][3] A familiar sense “to beat, thrash” (1867) has disappeared.^[6] The phrase s'en tamponner le coquillard “not to care” (1878) has aged, while the shorter s'en tamponner (1930s) is still used.^[6][2] The latest senses are “to stamp” a document (1907 in the TLFi, 1964 in the Petit Robert) and, in chemistry, “to buffer” a liquid (1962).^[2][5][6]

Timeline

• 15th century – An isolated record means “to drive a plug into an object”.^[2][6]
• 1547 – The verb is taken up again, meaning “to stop up with a plug”.^[4][6]
• 1660 – It is used of driving pegs into a wall.^[2]
• 1759 – Richelet records “to tease someone with little blows”.^[2][7]
• 1797 – It is used of treating a wound with a pad to stop bleeding.^[2]
• 1837 – Balzac uses it of rubbing a surface with a pad.^[2]
• 1872 – Littré records “to strike with the buffers” of railway wagons.^[2][6]
• 1878 – Rigaud records s'en tamponner le coquillard.^[2]
• 1907 – First recorded meaning “to stamp” a document.^[2]
• 1962 – It is used in chemistry for buffering a solution.^[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. (dated) To stop up with a tampon or plug.^[5][8]
2. (technical) To drive pegs into a wall.^[5][8]
3. To spread a liquid on something with a pad, to dab: tamponner une plaie avec de l'alcool.^[5][2]
4. To wipe or dry with a pad, to swab: elle se tamponnait le front avec un mouchoir.^[5][1]
5. S'en tamponner, s'en tamponner le coquillard (familiar): not to care at all about something.^[5][6]
6. To strike with the buffers, of railway wagons; by extension, to collide violently with another vehicle.^[5][2]
7. To stamp a document with a rubber stamp.^[5][2]
8. (chemistry) To add a buffer solution to a liquid.^[1][6]

Word family

• tamponnage
• tamponnement
• tamponneur

Related words

• tampon

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 s 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette