balancer French · revision 16961

18 Oct 2026, 14:01 by bogdan “New French entry (fr10k, TLFi/FEW/DHLF/BW etc.)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1165|origins=la bilanx}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ba.lɑ̃.se/^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''balancer'''^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is formed from [[balance]] “pair of scales”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992) That word comes from [[la-vul|*bilancia]], from [[la-lat|bilanx|t=two-pan balance]] (4th century), formed with [[m|la|bis|t=twice]] and [[m|la|lanx|t=dish, scale pan]];^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) its initial ⟨ba-⟩ may come from a change of /i/ to /a/ before /l/ and perhaps from the influence of the verb [[baller]] “to dance, swing”, because of the movement of the two pans.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)
+ 
+ Compare [[it|bilanciare]], [[pro|balansar]] and [[es|balanzar]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ It is first found about 1165, in the sense “to move from side to side”.^(DHLF 1992)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ From the 12th century it also meant “to throw with a swinging movement” (about 1175): a 13th-century fabliau says of a corpse ''Dedenz l'eve l'a balancié'', “he threw it into the water”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) That sense died out in the 14th century and was revived by popular speech in 1821, simply for “to throw”.^(DHLF 1992) The figurative sense “to hesitate between two courses” appeared at the end of the 12th century in ''mon cœur balance'';^(DHLF 1992) “to weigh” is from the early 13th century and “to balance, compare” from the 16th.^(DHLF 1992) The pronominal ''se balancer'' dates from 1573.^(DHLF 1992)
+ 
+ Slang and then familiar speech extended “to throw” to “to get rid of” (1844) and “to inform on” (1929–1934), whence the noun ''balance'' “informer” (about 1930).^(DHLF 1992) ''S'en balancer'' “not to give a damn” is soldiers' slang of 1914.^(DHLF 1992) [[balancement]] is from 1487, [[balançoire]] from 1530 and [[contrebalancer]] from 1549 (Du Bellay).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 1165 – “To move from side to side”.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * c. 1175 – “To throw”.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * Late 12th century – ''Mon cœur balance'' “I hesitate”.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * 1487 – ''Balancement''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)
+ * 1530 – ''Balançoire''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)
+ * 1573 – ''Se balancer''.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * 1821 – “To throw” revived in popular speech.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * 1844 – Slang “to get rid of”.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * 1914 – ''S'en balancer''.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * 1929–1934 – “To inform on”.^(DHLF 1992)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Verb===
+ # To [[m|en|swing]], to move to and fro: ''balancer les bras'', ''balancer un enfant pour l'endormir''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)
+ # ''(familiar)'' To throw, [[m|en|chuck]]: ''balancer un objet par la fenêtre'', ''balancer une gifle''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(familiar)'' To get rid of, throw away; to sack (someone).^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(slang)'' To [[m|en|inform on]], grass on.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)
+ # ''(literary)'' To weigh, compare; intransitively, to hesitate.^(DHLF 1992)
+ # ''Se balancer'': to swing, sway; to ride on a swing, ''(familiar)'' ''s'en balancer'', not to care.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)
+ # ''(Quebec)'' To balance (an account).^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[balancement]]
+ * [[balançoire]]
+ * [[contrebalancer]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[balance]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}