blesser French · revision 17023

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 11th century, Rashi (blecier)|origins=frk *blettjan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /blɛ.se/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ble.se/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''blesser'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''blecier'', ''blecer'' (about 1100); ''blesser'' from the 15th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|blecier]], from [[la-vul|*blettiō|alt=*blettiare|t=to bruise]], a Gallo-Romance form, [[bor|frk|*blettjan|t=to bruise]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) The Frankish verb is formed on a noun matching [[goh|bleizza|t=bruise, scar]] and is close to [[ang|blāt|t=livid, pale]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Wiktionary reconstructs [[frk|*blaitijan]].^(Wiktionary) Guiraud also supposes a crossing with a Gallo-Romance “*blattiare”, from Latin “blatta” “dark purple”.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ The word is only Gallo-Romance: compare [[pro|blessar]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Littré followed Diez in deriving it from Middle High German “bletzen” “to patch”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Rashi (late 11th century) has ''blecier'' for bruising fruit to ripen it; in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) ''blecer'' is to harm or injure someone: ''La gent de France iert blecée et blesmie'' “the people of France will be hurt and wounded”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The original sense “to bruise” lasted until the 15th century and survives in northern and eastern dialects and in the derivative [[blet]] “overripe”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) “To damage, harm” died out in the 16th century, except at sea, where a ship was ''blessé'' from the 17th to the 19th century.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The modern sense, wounding someone with a blow, appears in a context of war and soon displaced Old French ''nafrer'' (see [[navrer]]); ''se blesser'' dates from about 1175.^(DHLF 1992) With a thing as subject came ''savoir où le bât blesse'' (15th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Figuratively it meant to hurt someone's feelings from 1176, and later to offend the senses or good taste.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) In the 17th century ''se blesser'' also meant “to miscarry” (1660).^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 11th century – ''Blecier'', to bruise fruit, Rashi.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * c. 1100 – To injure, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1155 – To damage.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1175 – ''Se blesser''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1176 – To hurt someone's feelings.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 15th century – ''Où le bât blesse''; the spelling ''blesser''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1660 – ''Se blesser'' “to miscarry”, Oudin.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|wound]], [[m|en|injure]]: ''blessé par balle'', ''blesser grièvement qqn'', ''se blesser'', to hurt oneself.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To hurt, chafe (of shoes or straps); ''c'est là que le bât blesse'', that's the sore point.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To [[m|en|offend]], hurt (someone's feelings): ''blesser qqn dans son amour-propre''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To offend (the eye, the ear, good taste).^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[blessure]]

+ * [[blessé]]

+ * [[blessant]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[blet]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}