pleurer French · revision 16452

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=938–950, Jonah fragment (plorer)|origins=la plōrō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /plœ.ʁe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pleurer'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|plorer]] and [[m|fro|plourer]], Chifflet still advised against saying ''plorer''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|plorer]], [[inh|la|plōrō|t=to cry out, lament]], an expressive word of popular Latin for which no convincing cognate has been found.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|9, 76a) Distinct from [[m|la|lacrimō|t=to shed tears]], it was used as its expressive synonym, and it is in the sense “to weep” that it passed into the Romance languages, all except Romanian.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) In the northern dialects it competes with “crier”, “brailler” and “braire”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|plorar]], [[ca|plorar]], [[es|llorar]] and [[pt|chorar]]; [[ro|plânge]] and [[it|piangere]] continue [[la|plangō]] instead.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ As ''plorer'' it is found in the Jonah fragment of Valenciennes (938–950), meaning “to shed tears”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The ''Vie de saint Alexis'' has ''E tantes lermes pur le ton cors pluredes'' (“and so many tears wept for your body”).^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By about 980 it meant to be grieved and, with a person as object, to mourn someone's death.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Pleurer de'' “to grieve over” (about 1370) gave way to ''pleurer sur'' (1564).^(DHLF 1992) In the 13th century ''ne plorer pas les despens'' “not to begrudge the cost” gave it a sense like that of ''plaindre'', now regional or familiar except in ''pleurer le pain qu'on mange'' (1690) and ''ne pas pleurer sa peine'' (1935).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Of trees it has meant to ooze resin since 1454, and of the vine to bleed sap since 1690.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Comparisons followed from the 16th century: ''pleurer comme une vache'' (Rabelais), ''comme un veau'' (Scarron, 1648) and ''comme une Madeleine'', after the woman of the Gospel, Rey dates this one to 1873, the GLLF to Balzac, before 1850.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) ''Il ne lui reste que les yeux pour pleurer'' “he has lost everything” is in the Académie's dictionary of 1835.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 938–950 – ''Plorer'' in the Jonah fragment.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 980 – “To mourn (someone)”, in the ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1240–1280 – ''Ne plorer pas les despens'' in Baudouin de Condé.^(TLFi)

+ * 1454 – Of trees, “to ooze”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1564 – ''Pleurer sur''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1648 – ''Pleurer comme un veau'' in Scarron.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1835 – ''Il ne lui reste que les yeux pour pleurer''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|cry]], [[m|en|weep]]: ''pleurer à chaudes larmes'', ''pleurer comme une Madeleine''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To [[m|en|mourn]], to grieve for: ''pleurer un ami''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Pleurer sur'': to lament over.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(familiar or regional)'' To begrudge: ''ne pas pleurer sa peine''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # (of a tree or vine) To exude resin or sap.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''À pleurer'': pitifully, so as to make one weep: ''bête à pleurer''.^(GLLF 1989)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pleureur]]

+ * [[pleureuse]]

+ * [[pleur]]

+ * [[pleurard]]

+ * [[éploré]]

+ * [[pleurnicher]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[larmoyer]]

+ * [[implorer]]

+ * [[déplorer]]

+ * [[la|plōrō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}