secouer French · revision 16748

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1450 (secouer le pelisson); secorre c. 1174|origins=la quatiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sə.kwe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''secouer'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''secorre'' (about 1174, Étienne de Fougères), ''secourre'' (15th century to the early 17th); ''secouer'' from the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|secorre|t=to shake]], remade after its present forms with ⟨ou⟩ (nous secouons, vous secouez, ils secouent).^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) The Old French verb is [[inh|la|succutiō|t=to shake from below, toss]], from [[m|la|sub|t=under]] and [[m|la|quatiō|t=to shake; to strike]], a verb of unknown origin whose compounds also gave [[discuter]] and [[percuter]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|12, 385a)^(Wiktionary) Bloch and Wartburg note that the expected Old French form [[m|fro|sequeurre]] is very rare and was remade as [[m|fro|secourre]], partly after [[secourir]]; the latter survives in the dialects of the east and north-east.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) Littré thought the modern verb an alteration of a form [[m|fro|*secouir]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Compare [[oc|secodre]], [[es|sacudir]] and [[pt|sacudir]].^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Sottie du Gaudisseur'' (about 1450) has ''secouer le pelisson'' “to give someone a rough time”, Robert Estienne (1531) has ''secouant la tête'' as a sign of refusal.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 15th century ''secourre'' also meant to shake something off (''secourre la neige'', ''Perceforest''); ''secouer la poudre de ses pieds'' (1553) was to leave a place in anger.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) ''Secouer le joug'' “to throw off a yoke” is in Robert Estienne (1538, 1549), and later one ''secoue'' prejudices (1683) and laziness.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Montaigne (1580) uses it for shaking one's beliefs, and today it is mostly used in the passive for being shaken by a physical or emotional shock.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Secouer quelqu'un'' meant to treat someone roughly (1580), then to scold (1666), with ''secouer les puces'' (1690); it now means to shake someone out of apathy.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Diderot (1762) has ''se secouer'' “to pull oneself together”, and Voltaire (1766) ''être secoué'' “to be in poor health”.^(TLFi) The familiar ''secouer le cocotier'' dates from 1964, and the slang ''rien à secouer'' means “couldn't care less”.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1174 – ''Secorre'', Étienne de Fougères.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1450 – ''Secouer le pelisson''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1531 – ''Secouer la tête'', Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1549 – ''Secouer le joug'', Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – ''Secouer les puces''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1762 – ''Se secouer'', Diderot.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|shake]]: ''secouer un tapis'', ''secouer le flacon avant usage'', ''secouer la tête'', to shake one's head.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To shake off: ''secouer la neige de son manteau'', ''secouer le joug'', to throw off the yoke.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To shake, jolt, toss about: ''la voiture nous secouait'', ''(figurative)'' to upset, shock: ''cette nouvelle l'a secoué''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To shake (someone) up, rouse; to scold: ''secouer les puces à quelqu'un''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Se secouer'': to shake oneself, ''(familiar)'' to pull oneself together, make an effort.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[secousse]]

+ * [[secouement]]

+ * [[secoueur]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[discuter]]

+ * [[percuter]]

+ * [[la|succutiō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}