poussière French · revision 16925

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1190, Sermons de saint Bernard|origins=la pulvis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pu.sjɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''poussière''' ''f'' (plural poussières)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|posiere]] (about 1190) and [[m|fro|possere]] (late 13th century); the spelling ''poussière'' dates from 1549.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|pousiere]], derived from Old French [[m|fro|pous|t=dust]], which goes back to [[la-vul|*pulvus]], an alteration of [[la|pulvis|t=dust]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(Grand Robert 2005) That noun gave the derivative through the form [[m|fro|pousse]], common in the dialects: the inflectional ⟨s⟩ was taken as part of the stem and served as the base of derivatives, as in the eastern dialect words [[m|fr|pousset]], [[m|fr|poussot]] and [[m|fr|poussier]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The word was rare and probably regional before the 16th century, used in Lorraine, Hainaut, Wallonia and Franche-Comté.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The same Latin word gave [[poudre]], which “poussière” first rivalled and then replaced in the sense “dust” when the older word took on special senses in the 17th and 18th centuries.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Sermons de saint Bernard'' (late 12th century) use it for dry earth reduced to fine particles: ''vos qui estes en la pousiere'' “you who are in the dust”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Echoing the Bible, in which man is made of earth and returns to dust, it meant the remains of the dead by the end of the 13th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Phrases followed: ''réduire en poussière'' (1563), ''mordre la poussière'' “to be defeated” (before 1628, Malherbe) and ''jeter de la poussière aux yeux'' (1628), which never displaced ''jeter de la poudre aux yeux''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ From 1574 it named any matter reduced to fine particles, as in ''poussière de charbon'' (1611); in the sciences it named pollen (1762, ''poussière fécondante'') and, in astronomy, ''poussières cosmiques'' (1880).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Mme de Sévigné uses it for a trifle (1671); in slang it meant money (1835), and ''et des poussières'' “and a bit more” is recorded in 1938.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1190 – ''Posiere'' “dust”, in the ''Sermons de saint Bernard''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * late 13th century – ''Possere'' “the remains of the dead”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1549 – The spelling ''poussière''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1563 – ''Réduire en poussière'', in Bernard Palissy.^(TLFi)

+ * before 1628 – ''Mordre la poussière'', in Malherbe.^(TLFi)

+ * 1671 – “A trifle”, in Mme de Sévigné.^(TLFi)

+ * 1762 – “Pollen”, in the Académie dictionary.^(TLFi)

+ * 1880 – ''Poussières cosmiques'', in Flammarion.^(TLFi)

+ * 1938 – ''Et des poussières'' “and a little more”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|dust|alt=Dust]]: dry earth or other matter in very fine particles, light enough to float in the air: ''faire de la poussière''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The dust that settles indoors: ''faire la poussière'', to dust.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A [[m|en|speck]] of dust: ''avoir une poussière dans l'œil''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # Any matter reduced to fine particles: ''poussière de charbon'', ''poussières cosmiques''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(literary)'' The remains of the dead.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Mordre la poussière'': to be defeated.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(familiar, plural)'' ''Et des poussières'': and a little more.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dépoussiérage]]

+ * [[dépoussiérer]]

+ * [[empoussiérer]]

+ * [[épousseter]]

+ * [[poussiéreux]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[poudre]]

+ * [[poussier]]

+ * [[la|pulvis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}