battre French · revision 16433

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=mid-11th century|origins=la battuō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /batʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''battre'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|batre]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|batre]], [[inh|la-lat|battō]], from earlier [[la|battuō|t=to beat, pound]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|1, 290b)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word is rare in texts, Plautus uses it for striking someone in the face, and it was used of gladiators fencing.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It was probably above all a technical word, for threshing grain (middle of the 4th century) and striking coins and metal (7th–8th centuries), senses that passed into the Romance languages.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Though it resembles some Celtic words, its origin is unknown.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|battere]], [[oc|batre]], [[ca|batre]], [[es|batir]], [[pt|bater]] and [[ro|bate]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the middle of the 11th century, meaning “to strike repeatedly”; in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080) it is used of striking coins.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Technical senses date from Old French: ''battre monnaie'' (about 1190), beating metal at the forge (1250–1300), whence ''battre le fer tant qu'il est chaud''.^(DHLF 1992) In hunting ''battre les buissons'' (about 1155) gave “to search, scour”, and the figurative ''battre le pavé'' (1606) and ''battre la campagne''.^(DHLF 1992) With a person as object, “to beat (someone)” is from 1165–1170, “to defeat” from 1606, and ''battre un record'' from 1882, ''se battre'' “to fight” dates from 1607.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ With a thing as subject it meant “to strike against” and, of the heart, “to beat” (about 1165), and later of doors and shutters.^(DHLF 1992) ''Battre son plein'', said of the sea at high tide, is used figuratively from the middle of the 19th century.^(DHLF 1992) Derivatives include [[battement]] (12th century), [[batterie]] (about 1200), [[batteur]], [[battue]] (about 1500) and [[débattre]] (11th century).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mid-11th century – First record.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1080 – Striking coins, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1155 – ''Battre les buissons''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1165 – Of the heart, “to beat”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1200 – ''Batterie''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1606 – “To defeat”, ''battre le pavé''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1607 – ''Se battre'' “to fight”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1882 – ''Battre un record''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|beat]], hit repeatedly: ''battre un tapis''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To beat (someone) up; to [[m|en|defeat]]: ''battre l'adversaire'', ''battre un record''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Se battre'': to fight.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(cooking)'' To [[m|en|whisk]] (eggs); ''(agriculture)'' to [[m|en|thresh]].^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(cards)'' To [[m|en|shuffle]].^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of the heart, to beat; of a door, to bang.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Battre monnaie'': to mint coins, ''battre la campagne'': to scour the countryside; to ramble.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Battre son plein'': to be in full swing.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[battement]]

+ * [[batterie]]

+ * [[batteur]]

+ * [[battue]]

+ * [[battant]]

+ * [[batte]]

+ * [[battage]]

+ * [[battoir]]

+ * [[abattre]]

+ * [[combattre]]

+ * [[débattre]]

+ * [[rabattre]]

+ * [[rebattre]]

+ * [[courbatu]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bataille]]

+ * [[la|battuō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}