brise French · revision 16053

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=1540, Rabelais|origins=es brisa}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /bʁiz/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''brise''' ''f'' (plural brises)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is obscure.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|15/1, 288b) The word is found around the same time in the Romance languages ([[it|brezza]], [[es|brisa]], [[pt|brisa]]) and in the Germanic ones ([[en|breeze]], [[nl|bries]]).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) Rey thinks it is probably borrowed from Spanish “brisa” “north-east wind” (1504), which follows [[ca|brisa]] (15th century), since the first French record he knows (1598) is translated from Castilian; he rejects a crossing of [[pro|bisa]] (see [[bise]]) with a Catalan word for a cold wind, and a crossing of “bise” with [[briser]], which suits the meaning but not the Spanish priority.^(DHLF 1992) Because the Romance words are older than [[en|breeze]] (1565–1589) and [[de|Brise]] (1726), he also sets aside an East Frisian word for a fresh sea wind,^(DHLF 1992) which Bloch and Wartburg, the REW and the Petit Robert take as the starting point, a sailors' word passing into French and, from there into the other Romance languages.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)^(Petit Robert 2007) Wiktionary suggests [[frk|*brāþi|t=steam, vapour]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The GLLF and the Grand Robert date it to Rabelais (1540).^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Sailors introduced it for an east wind met “in the Indies and all the Torrid Zone”; in the 17th century it was defined as a north wind (1611), a storm from the east (1638) and a fresh wind from the land (1678).^(DHLF 1992) For unknown reasons the modern word is a light, pleasant wind, both at sea and in general use, where it became common.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The compound ''pare-brise'' “windscreen” belongs to it.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1540 – In Rabelais.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1598 – A translation from Castilian.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1611 – “North wind”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1638 – “Storm from the east”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1678 – “Fresh land wind”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|breeze]], light wind: ''une brise tiède'', ''la brise fraîchit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(meteorology)'' A periodic coastal or valley wind: ''brise de mer'', ''brise de terre''.^(Larousse)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(nautical)'' A wind of force 1 to 5 on the Beaufort scale: ''petite brise'', ''jolie brise'', ''bonne brise''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A gentle breath: ''une brise d'apaisement''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bise]]

+ * [[pare-brise]]

+ * [[en|breeze]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Littré records a separate ''brise'', probably from ''briser'', for a crossbar (16th century: ''barreaux de fer, grans brises traversans'').^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}