écraser French · revision 17020

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing, derivation|attested=1560, Ronsard|origins=enm crasen}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /e.kʁa.ze/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''écraser'''^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Escrager'' (Ronsard), ''ecrazer'' (Montluc, Montaigne); the Académie wrote ''escraser'' in 1694 and 1718, ''écraser'' from 1740.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed with the intensive prefix [[é-]] (Latin [[m|la|ex-]]) on [[bor|enm|crasen|t=to break, shatter]] (about 1440), probably borrowed during the Hundred Years' War.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|16, 368b) The English verb, which became [[en|craze]], is probably of Scandinavian origin, Wiktionary reconstructs [[non|*krasa|t=to shatter]], ultimately imitative.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) Bloch and Wartburg note that French at once gave it the prefix “é-”, common in verbs of similar meaning; dialects of Geneva and the Berry have “acraser”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Ronsard (1560) uses it for flattening and deforming by pressure: a horse's kick ''escrageant'' a man's skull.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Montaigne speaks of peasants letting their fingertips be ''ecrazez''.^(Littré 1873) In 1659 Corneille has ''s'écraser'', to be killed by falling, ''écraser'' meant to kill or try to kill (1680), and, from the early 18th century a vehicle ''écrase'' someone it runs over.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Figuratively it is to crush an opponent (1690, Furetière), and, from the 19th century to overwhelm (''écrasé de travail''), to humiliate, and to dwarf by its mass.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Familiar French has ''en écraser'' “to sleep soundly” (1908) and, from about 1950, ''s'écraser'' “to shut up, give in”, with ''écrase !'' “drop it!”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) An aircraft ''s'écrase'' when it crashes.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1560 – “To crush”, Ronsard.^(TLFi)

+ * 1659 – ''S'écraser'', Corneille.^(TLFi)

+ * 1680 – “To kill”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1690 – To crush an opponent, Furetière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1908 – ''En écraser'' “to sleep”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1950 – ''S'écraser'' “to shut up”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|crush]], squash: ''écraser sa cigarette'', ''écraser une mouche'', ''(cooking)'' to mash, crush: ''écraser l'ail''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To run over: ''se faire écraser par une voiture''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''S'écraser'': to crash: ''l'avion s'est écrasé''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To crush, defeat utterly: ''écraser l'adversaire''; to overwhelm: ''écrasé de travail''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(computing)'' To overwrite (a file).^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''S'écraser'': to shut up, back down, ''en écraser'', to sleep like a log.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[écrasement]]

+ * [[écrasant]]

+ * [[écraseur]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}