merde French · revision 17416

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1179, Roman de Renart|origins=la merda}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɛʁd/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): [maʁd]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''merde''' ''f'' (plural merdes)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|merde]], [[inh|la|merda|t=dung, excrement]], a word of vulgar speech with no sure etymology.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|6/2, 21a)^(Wiktionary) Rey mentions Baltic and Slavic verbs of similar form meaning “to stink”, and Etymonline, after de Vaan, compares [[lt|smirdėti|t=to stink]] and a reconstructed [[ine-pro|*smerdʰ-|t=stench]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Etymonline)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|merda]] and [[es|mierda]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the ''Roman de Renart'' (about 1179), both as an interjection of anger and contempt and as an insult for worthless people.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The literal sense, “excrement of humans and some animals”, is recorded at the end of the 12th century (''Audigier''), which also has ''estre en merde jusques au cou'' “to be in a hopeless fix”.^(TLFi) The proverb ''plus on remue la merde, plus elle pue'' (Nicot, 1606) continues an Old French one of about 1180.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''De merde'' “worthless” is recorded in 1547.^(TLFi)

+

+ As an interjection it long expressed anger, contempt or refusal; from the 19th century it also expresses surprise and even admiration.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Felt as vulgar though very common, it is disguised as ''mercredi'' and as ''le mot de Cambronne'', after the reply of Napoleon's general to the English who called on him to surrender.^(DHLF 1992) Pilots used it in 1917 for thick weather with no visibility.^(TLFi) English borrowed ''merd'' in the late 15th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1179 – Interjection and insult in the ''Roman de Renart''.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 12th century – “Excrement” in ''Audigier''.^(TLFi)

+ * Early 13th century – Used as a masculine noun, in Robert de Clari.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 14th century – ''Merdeux'', in Eustache Deschamps.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 15th century – ''Emmerder''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1547 – ''De merde''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1606 – ''Plus on remue la merde, plus elle pue'', in Nicot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1917 – Thick weather, in airmen's slang.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(vulgar)'' [[m|en|excrement]], shit.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(vulgar, figurative)'' A worthless person or thing: ''c'est de la merde'', ''de merde'', lousy.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(vulgar)'' Trouble, a mess: ''être dans la merde''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # ''(vulgar)'' Shit!, damn!: anger, contempt or [[m|en|refusal]]; also surprise or admiration.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Dire merde à quelqu'un'': to wish someone good luck.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[emmerder]]

+ * [[merdique]]

+ * [[merdeux]]

+ * [[démerder]]

+ * [[merder]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[chier]]

+ * [[déféquer]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}