souffler French · revision 16996

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1121–1134, Philippe de Thaon, Bestiaire|origins=la flo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /su.fle/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''souffler'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|sufler]] (about 1120–1155) and [[m|fro|sofler]] (about 1120); ''souffler'' is a respelling of the late 12th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|sofler]], [[inh|la|sufflō|t=to blow on; to inflate]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|12, 407a) formed with [[m|la|sub-|t=under]] and [[m|la|flō|t=to blow; to breathe out]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) The simple verb was replaced in imperial times by [[m|la|flātō]].^(DHLF 1992) Rey compares it with expressive words such as [[goh|blāen|t=to swell]] and [[ang|blāwan|t=to blow]], the source of [[en|blow]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|soffiare]], [[pro|soflar]], [[es|sollar]] (beside the commoner [[m|es|soplar]]) and [[pt|soprar]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(REW 1935) Most Gallo-Romance dialects south of the Loire use instead a verb of imitative origin related to [[buffet]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Philippe de Thaon's ''Bestiaire'' (1121–1134) has ''sufler'' “to send out air through the mouth or nose”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By about 1160 it meant “to breathe hard, pant” (''Eneas''),^(TLFi) and by about 1155 it was used of the wind.^(GLLF 1989) In Jean de Meun's ''Rose'' (1269–1278) it is used of working the bellows of an organ.^(TLFi) Figuratively it was said of the spirit of God (about 1120), as in the biblical ''l'Esprit souffle où il veut'' (1718).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The breath was linked to speech: ''ne sofler mot'' “to keep silent” (about 1130) became ''ne pas souffler mot'' (1835).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) From it came “to say in a low voice” in ''souffler en l'oreille'' (1538), “to prompt” in ''souffler sa leçon à quelqu'un'' (1549) and, in the theatre, ''souffler un acteur'' (1622), then “to suggest” (1662).^(DHLF 1992) Molière uses it for “to open one's mouth to protest” (1668), La Bruyère for “to take a short rest” (1694).^(TLFi)

+

+ ''Souffler la châtaigne à quelqu'un'' “to snatch something from someone” is recorded in 1560 and ''souffler quelque chose à quelqu'un'' in 1655 (Molière).^(TLFi) Glassmakers' ''souffler le verre'' dates from 1723, and the familiar sense “to take someone's breath away, to stun” from 1940.^(TLFi) Among the derivatives, [[soufflet]] “bellows” is from the 12th century, and its sense “slap” from 1459.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1121–1134 – ''Sufler'' in Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1130 – ''Ne sofler mot'' “to say nothing”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1160 – “To pant”, in the ''Roman d'Eneas''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1269–1278 – Of working an organ's bellows (''Roman de la Rose'').^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Souffler en l'oreille''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1622 – ''Souffler un acteur'' “to prompt”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1668 – “To protest”, in Molière's ''George Dandin''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1694 – “To rest”, in La Bruyère.^(TLFi)

+ * 1723 – ''Souffler le verre''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1835 – ''Ne pas souffler mot'' recorded by the Académie.^(TLFi)

+ * 1940 – “To stun, astonish”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To [[m|en|blow]], to send out air through the mouth or nose: ''souffler sur sa soupe'', ''souffler sur le feu'' (also figuratively, to stir up trouble).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To breathe hard, [[m|en|pant]]: ''souffler comme un bœuf'', ''comme un phoque''.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(intransitive, figurative)'' To catch one's breath, to [[m|en|rest]].^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of the wind, to blow.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To blow out (a flame); to blow (glass).^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|whisper]]; to [[m|en|prompt]] (an actor, a pupil); ''ne pas souffler mot'', not to say a word.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To suggest, to put an idea into someone's head.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(transitive, familiar)'' To take (something) from someone: ''souffler quelque chose à quelqu'un''.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(transitive, familiar)'' To astonish, to take someone's breath away.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[soufflé]]

+ * [[soufflement]]

+ * [[soufflerie]]

+ * [[soufflet]]

+ * [[souffleur]]

+ * [[boursouflé]]

+ * [[essouffler]]

+ * [[souffle]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[insuffler]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}