avaler French · revision 16855

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1080, Chanson de Roland|origins=la vallis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.va.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''avaler'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|aval|-er]].^(Wiktionary)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992) The adverb [[aval]] “downwards, downstream” is formed from [[à]] and [[val]] “valley”, like its opposite [[amont]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) That noun continues [[la|vallis|t=valley]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935) The verb properly meant “to make go down, put down”; since bringing food into the stomach is also making it go down, it gradually took that sense, and the first fell out of use except in some technical phrases and dialects.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080) it means “to go down”: ''du pin est avalet'' “he came down from the pine”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “to descend” (a river, a staircase) is now archaic or technical, like its extensions “to bring down, fell” (12th to 18th centuries), longer kept in the participle (''des joues avalées'' “sagging cheeks”), and “to sink (a pit, a mine)” (1783).^(DHLF 1992) The only sense left in common use is “to swallow” (late 12th century: ''nes un tout seul morcel n'en a elle avalé'' in ''Berte''), which frequency has cut off from its origin.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Figuratively, ''avaler quelque chose'' meant “to accept, put up with” from the 15th century, whence ''dur à avaler'' and ''avaler la pilule'', ''faire avaler quelque chose à quelqu'un'' is “to make someone put up with it” in Molière (1666) and “to make someone believe it” in 1835.^(DHLF 1992) The old sense survives in [[ravaler]] and [[avalanche]], which ''avalaison'' “mountain torrent” probably influenced.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1080 – “To go down”, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+ * late 12th century – “To swallow”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 15th century – “To accept, put up with”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1493 – The noun ''avaleur''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1666 – ''Faire avaler'' “to make (someone) put up with”, in Molière.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1783 – “To sink (a pit)”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1835 – ''Faire avaler'' “to make believe”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|swallow]]: ''avaler une gorgée d'eau'', ''avaler d'un trait'', in one gulp.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To accept, put up with: ''avaler la pilule'', ''avaler des couleuvres'', to swallow insults without protest.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To believe (something unlikely): ''faire avaler quelque chose à quelqu'un''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Avaler sa langue'': to keep silent.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To lower, let down: ''avaler une échelle de corde''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[avaleur]]

+ * [[ravaler]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[aval]]

+ * [[val]]

+ * [[avalanche]]

+ * [[la|vallis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}