piquer French · revision 16788

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1306, Joinville|origins=la-vul *pīkkō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pi.ke/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''piquer'''^(Wiktionary)

+ The Académie wrote ''picquer'' in 1694, ''piquer'' from 1718.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*pīkkō|t=to prick, strike]], a verb found in all the Romance languages except Romanian (compare [[ca|picar]], [[es|picar]] and [[pt|picar]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(FEW|8, 450a)^(REW 1935) It goes back to an expressive stem ⟨pikk-⟩, born of the impression of a quick movement followed by a short sharp sound: the /p/ paints the start of the movement, the /k/ its end and the /i/ its sharpness; the double consonant was not palatalized, which would have destroyed its expressiveness.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(TLFi) The same stem is found in the Germanic languages, without borrowing either way; in classical Latin it had already given [[m|la|pīcus|t=woodpecker]] (see [[pic]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ Wiktionary suggests as more likely a Frankish [[m|frk|*pikkōn|t=to pick, peck]].^(Wiktionary) The Petit Robert notes that the verb is probably older than its record, since [[dépiquer]] is found in the 13th century, and that until the 14th century the notion was expressed by [[poindre]].^(Petit Robert 2007) It is to be distinguished from an older homonymous verb meaning “to demolish with picks” (second half of the 13th century), derived from the noun for a pick.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Joinville (about 1306) uses it for piercing with the point of a sword: ''nous piquoient de leurs glaives par desus'', “they jabbed at us with their swords from above”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From piercing came many uses: of worms, to eat holes (about 1480), whence ''n'être pas piqué des vers'' “to be first-rate” (1832); of insects, to sting (1541), whence ''quelle mouche le pique ?'' (Cotgrave, 1611); to goad an animal and to stick a point in the ground (1538); in sewing, to stitch (1606, ''courtepoincte picquée'', 1572); in cooking, to lard meat (1660); in medicine, to prick with a lancet (1671).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Music has ''note piquée'' (1721), seamanship ''piquer au vent'' (1773), and slang ''piquer un chien'' “to sleep” (Musset, 1831), whence ''piquer un somme''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary) Figuratively it meant “to vex” (Gréban, 1458), and ''se piquer de'' “to pride oneself on” (Sorel, 1623).^(TLFi) Of aircraft, ''piquer'' “to dive” is in Martin du Gard (1936), and familiarly it means “to pinch, steal”.^(BHVF)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1306 – “To pierce with a sword”, Joinville.^(TLFi)

+ * 1458 – “To vex”, Arnoul Gréban.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1480 – Of worms, to eat holes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1541 – Of insects, to sting.^(TLFi)

+ * 1606 – In sewing, to stitch.^(TLFi)

+ * 1623 – ''Se piquer de'', Sorel.^(TLFi)

+ * 1660 – In cooking, to lard.^(TLFi)

+ * 1831 – ''Piquer un chien'' “to sleep”, Musset.^(TLFi)

+ * 1832 – ''Qui n'est pas piqué des vers''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|prick]], pierce lightly with a point; to give an injection; of an insect, to [[m|en|sting]], bite.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To spur, goad an animal: ''piquer des deux'', to set off at a gallop.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To put down an animal by injection.^(Wiktionary)

+ # To stick in, plant a point in, ''(cooking)'' to lard.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(sewing)'' To stitch, quilt.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # To sting, burn: of pepper, cold, smoke, ''piquer au vif'', to cut to the quick.^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+ # ''(familiar)'' To [[m|en|pinch]], steal.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(familiar)'' With certain nouns, to have suddenly: ''piquer une crise'', ''piquer un fard'', to blush, ''piquer un somme'', to take a nap, ''piquer une tête'', to dive.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of a bird or aircraft, to dive, ''piquer du nez'', to nose-dive, nod off; to rush towards.^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+ # ''Se piquer de'': to pride oneself on, ''se piquer'', to take offence; to inject oneself.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[piqûre]]

+ * [[piquant]]

+ * [[piqué]]

+ * [[piqueur]]

+ * [[piquet]]

+ * [[piqueter]]

+ * [[piquette]]

+ * [[repiquer]]

+ * [[picoter]]

+ * [[pique-assiette]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pic]]

+ * [[pique]]

+ * [[poindre]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}