Etymologically
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verser

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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

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)