rouler French · revision 17212

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1160, Eneas (rëoller)|origins=la rota}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʁu.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rouler'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''rëoller'' (about 1160), ''rueler'', ''roeler'', ''roueler'', ''roler'', ''rouler'' from the 14th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[der|fro|roele|t=small wheel]], also “ruele”, the old form of [[rouelle]], and in some senses from [[rôle]] “roll”; the GLLF finds the distinction often specious.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(FEW|10, 500b) “Roele” continues [[la-lat|rotella|t=small wheel]], a diminutive of [[la|rota|t=wheel]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) The verb was also confused with the descendants of a popular Latin [[la-vul|*rotulō]], from [[m|la|rotula]] (see [[rotule]]), attested by [[pro|rollar]] (about 1300) “to turn about an axis”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|10, 510b) Littré and Wiktionary derive the verb from the Medieval Latin form.^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Littré compared [[wa|rôlé]], [[ca|rotolar]], [[es|rollar]], [[pt|rolar]] and [[it|rotolare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The verb is first intransitive: in the ''Roman d'Eneas'' (about 1160) ''rëoller'' is to move by turning over and over; the transitive “to move (an object) by making it turn” is in the ''Livre des Rois'' (about 1170).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Rouler les yeux'' is found at the end of the 12th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) After ''rotulare'', it came to mean to wind into a roll (1553), as in ''rouler une cigarette'' (1854).^(DHLF 1992) A vehicle ''roule'' from 1585, and a person travelling in one from 1611 (''il fait beau rouler en esté'', Cotgrave), whence ''faire rouler un carrosse'' (1690) and ''rouler carrosse'' (1709), to live in style, ''rouler sur l'or'' is Voltaire's (1736).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Thunder ''roule'' in 1604, a ship rolls in 1678, money circulates (1685), and a matter ''roule sur'' a subject (1660).^(TLFi)

+

+ In the 19th century it took the familiar sense “to cheat, swindle” (1834), with ''rouler dans la farine'' (1867).^(DHLF 1992) ''Rouler sa bosse'' (1816) followed ''rouler son corps'' “to travel a lot” (1781), and ''rouler les r'' is dated 1845, ''ça roule'' “it's going fine” is in the Goncourts' ''Journal'' (1859).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1160 – ''Rëoller'' in the ''Roman d'Eneas''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1170 – Transitive ''rueler'', in the ''Livre des Rois''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1409 – The form ''roller''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1553 – “To roll up”, in Jean Gérard's Bible.^(TLFi)

+ * 1585 – Of a cart moving on wheels, Noël du Fail.^(TLFi)

+ * 1709 – ''Rouler carrosse'', Lesage.^(TLFi)

+ * 1736 – ''Rouler sur l'or'', Voltaire.^(TLFi)

+ * 1834 – “To cheat”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1859 – ''Ça roule''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To roll, move (something round) by turning it over: ''rouler un tonneau'', ''rouler sa bosse'', to knock about the world.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To push along (something on wheels): ''rouler une brouette''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To roll up, wind into a roll: ''rouler un tapis'', ''une cigarette''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To coat by rolling: ''rouler dans la farine'', and ''(familiar)'' to fool, [[m|en|swindle]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To roll, move by turning over; of a vehicle or its driver, to run, [[m|en|drive]]: ''rouler à droite''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of a ship, to roll; of thunder, to rumble.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''Ça roule'': things are going well.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Se rouler'': to roll about: ''se rouler par terre'', ''se rouler les pouces'', to twiddle one's thumbs.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[roulant]]

+ * [[roulement]]

+ * [[roulette]]

+ * [[rouleur]]

+ * [[roulis]]

+ * [[roulotte]]

+ * [[roulade]]

+ * [[roulage]]

+ * [[roulier]]

+ * [[dérouler]]

+ * [[enrouler]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rouelle]]

+ * [[rôle]]

+ * [[rouleau]]

+ * [[roue]]

+ * [[rotule]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}