verser

Pronunciation

• IPA: /vɛʁ.se/^[1]

Forms

verser^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin versō (“to turn often; to stir; to knock about”), the frequentative of vertō (“to turn”).^[2][3][4] The Latin verb vertere continues an older form with ⟨o⟩, and its Indo-European stem is found in Sanskrit and Germanic.^[2][5] Cognate with Romanian vărsa, Italian versare, Occitan versar and Catalan vessar, all meaning “to pour”.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland uses it intransitively for falling over, and also transitively: Rumpent ces cengles, e cez seles verserent, “they break the girths and overturn the saddles”.^[7][8][2]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it meant to throw someone down and to fall, senses later taken over by renverser, and also “to change” (1172–1174).^[2] About 1175 Chrétien de Troyes uses it for pouring a liquid, poison into a crystal cup in Cligès, the sense that became the main one.^[7][2] In the 13th century it meant to plough (whence versoir) and, of wind and rain, to flatten crops (about 1265, Jean de Meun).^[2][9] Of a carriage it means to tip over (1471), and Beaumanoir (1283) speaks of a man killed par le verser de sa karete.^[2][7] Verser des larmes is in La Fontaine (1668), verser le sang from the end of the 16th century, and pleuvoir à verse from 1640.^[9][2][4] Versement, a payment, dates from 1695, and verser is used for paying money into an account.^[4][1]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – “To overturn, fall”, in the Chanson de Roland.^[7]
• c. 1175 – “To pour”, in Chrétien de Troyes.^[7][2]
• c. 1265 – Of crops flattened by rain.^[2][9]
• 1283 – Le verser de sa karete, in Beaumanoir.^[7]
• 1471 – Of a vehicle tipping over.^[2]
• 1640 – Pleuvoir à la verse.^[4]
• 1668 – Verser des larmes, in La Fontaine.^[9]
• 1695 – Versement, a payment.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To pour a liquid from a container: verser du vin dans un verre, verser le café, verser à boire.^[5][10]
2. To pour out a solid: verser du blé dans un sac.^[8][2]
3. To shed: verser des larmes, verser le sang.^[10][8]
4. To pay money, to pay it into an account or fund.^[1][4]
5. To tip over, overturn; to flatten crops: l'orage a versé les blés.^[1][5]

Word family

• versement
• verseur
• verseuse
• versoir
• verse
• averse
• déverser
• reverser

Related words

• renverser
• versant
• Latin versō

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b c d e f 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
8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)