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vesser

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Etymology and origin of the French word vesser

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1280 before 1280, Fatrasies d'Arras More words from the 13th century
Inherited from
Latin vissio via Middle French
Ultimate origin
Latin vīsiō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin vissiō
French vesser
Romanian băși

Pronunciation

Forms

vesser[1] Older French vessir, recorded by Villon in 1462.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle French vessir, with a change of conjugation, probably under the influence of péter.[2][4][5][6] The older verb is inherited from Vulgar Latin vissiō (“to break wind silently”), a variant of Classical vīsiō.[2][5][7] The Petit Robert sees the verb also as formed from the noun vesse.[8][1]

Cognate with Old Occitan vessir and Romanian băși.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

An isolated vessoit is found in the Fatrasies of Arras before 1280;[2][7] the verb then reappears in dictionaries in 1606 and 1608, meaning “to break wind silently”.[4][5][2]

Semantic evolution

The older vessir is recorded by Villon in 1462 and lives on in many dialects;[2][4] the Académie still listed it in 1740.[3] Vesser was in use until the 19th century and is now dated and familiar.[7][2]

Timeline

  • before 1280 – Vessoit in the Fatrasies of Arras.[2]
  • 1462 – Villon uses vessir.[2][3]
  • 1549 – The derivative vesseur is recorded.[4]
  • 1606 – Vesser appears in Nicot's dictionary.[5][4]
  • 1608 – Baudouin's French–Latin dictionary records it.[2]
  • 1752 – Vespétro names a carminative liqueur.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (dated, familiar) To fart silently, to let out a vesse.[2][8][1]

Word family

  • vesseur
  • vespétro
  • vesse
  • vesse-de-loup
  • péter
  • venette

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 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 531a
  7. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Vesser.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/vesser. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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