plonger French · revision 16822

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1121–34, Philippe de Thaon, Bestiaire|origins=la plumbum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /plɔ̃.ʒe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''plonger'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''plongier'', ''plungier''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|plongier]], [[inh|la-vul|*plumbicō|t=to weight with lead]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary) derived from [[m|la|plumbum|t=lead]] (see [[plomb]]); the verb was first said of nets and sounding lines weighted with lead to sink them to the bottom.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) It is found only in French, but its origin is confirmed by [[pcd|plonquer]] and by the bird name [[plongeon]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Littré compares [[wa|plonki]], from [[m|wa|plonk|t=lead]], and [[it|piombare|t=to fall plumb]], and rejects a Celtic origin.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Philippe de Thaon's ''Bestiaire'' (1121–34) has the reflexive, “to dive into the water”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The intransitive (Wace, 1160–74) means “to jump into the water”, specialized in swimming from the mid-19th century; the transitive “to immerse” (1135) and the sense of a ship sinking (about 1160) are also of the 12th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Without the idea of water it meant to thrust a weapon into the body (1188), of a person to go deep into something (about 1200), and of a bird to swoop (1376), later of an aircraft (1926).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Se plonger'' “to give oneself up to an occupation” is in Amyot (1559), ''se plonger dans un livre'' in Fromentin (1863), and the transitive “to put someone in a state” in Belleau (1577).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It was used of a downward gaze (1790) and of a person looking intently (1830).^(TLFi) In 19th-century popular use it meant to fall into poverty or lose money at gambling (1868), and in slang to be jailed (1938); in sport, a goalkeeper's dive (1913).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) [[plongeur]] (13th century) took the sense of a dishwasher in 1867.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1121–34 – ''Se plonger'' “to dive”, Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * 1135 – Transitive “to immerse”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1160 – Of a ship sinking, ''Eneas''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1188 – “To thrust a weapon”, Aimon de Varennes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1376 – Of a bird swooping.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Se plonger'' in an occupation, Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1913 – A goalkeeper's dive.^(TLFi)

+ * 1938 – “To be jailed”, slang.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|plunge]], immerse in a liquid: ''plonger les doigts dans l'eau''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To thrust deep: ''plonger un poignard dans le cœur'', ''plonger ses racines dans le sol''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To put someone into a state.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|dive]] into water; of a submarine, to submerge; of a bird or aircraft, to swoop down.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(sport)'' Of a goalkeeper, to dive for the ball.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Of a gaze, to look down from above.^(TLFi)

+ # ''Se plonger dans'': to [[m|en|immerse]] oneself in: ''se plonger dans un livre''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(slang)'' To be sent to prison.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[plongée]]

+ * [[plongeur]]

+ * [[plonge]]

+ * [[plongeoir]]

+ * [[plongement]]

+ * [[replonger]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[plongeon]]

+ * [[plomb]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}