mordre French · revision 17502

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=la mordeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɔʁdʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mordre'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|mordre]], [[inh|la-vul|*mordō]], with a short /e/ in the infinitive, an alteration of classical [[m|la|mordeō|t=to bite; to sting, vex]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|6/3, 126b) The popular form is required by [[it|mordere]] and by [[es|morder]], [[ca|morder]] and [[pt|morder]];^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Littré noted that the supine and perfect of the Latin verb fit a verb of that type better, and thought the Romance form might be an archaic one kept in popular speech.^(Littré 1873) Rey finds no Indo-European root meaning “to bite”; the Latin verb can only plausibly be compared with [[sa|मर्दति|tr=mardati|t=he crushes]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate also with [[oc|mordre]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it means to bite into with the teeth: a boar bites a man's right arm.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses it figuratively about 1165, of the pangs of love.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The ''Roman de Renart'' has ''mordre à'' “to fall for (a bait)” (1205–1250), made explicit in ''mordre à l'appât'' (about 1600) and La Fontaine's ''mordre à l'hameçon'' (1669).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In the 13th century it also meant “to criticize, carp at”, now dated, and ''avoir prise sur'' “to take hold, bite” (1268), said of pincers in 1314.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Rabelais has ''mordre à'' for understanding a subject (1532).^(TLFi)

+

+ ''Se mordre la langue'' “to regret having spoken” is from 1566 and ''mordre la poussière'' “to be killed in battle” from Malherbe;^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Monet records ''se mordre les doigts'' in 1636.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) The technical sense of an acid or a file biting into metal is in Furetière (1690), and mountaineers used it from 1787 of crampons and nails that grip.^(TLFi)^(BHVF) The past participle [[mordu]] came to mean “passionately fond” (1876), and as a noun a fan, ''les mordus du cross'' (1927).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – “To bite”, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1165 – Figurative use, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1205–1250 – ''Mordre à'' “to take the bait”, in the ''Roman de Renart''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1268 – “To take hold, grip”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1532 – ''Mordre à'' “to understand”, in Rabelais.^(TLFi)

+ * 1566 – ''Se mordre la langue''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1669 – ''Mordre à l'hameçon'', in La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1876 – ''Mordu'' “madly keen”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|bite]]: to seize and press with the teeth so as to wound or hold: ''son chien a mordu le facteur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(absolute)'' To be given to biting: ''ce chien mord''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Of an insect or snake, to bite or [[m|en|sting]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To take hold, grip; of an acid, to eat into: ''mes crampons usés ne mordaient plus''.^(GLLF 1989)^(BHVF)

+ # ''Mordre à l'hameçon'': to take the [[m|en|bait]], ''ça mord'', the fish are biting.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Mordre sur'': to [[m|en|encroach]] on, overlap.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Mordre la poussière'': to bite the dust, ''s'en mordre les doigts'', to regret it bitterly.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mordant]]

+ * [[mordiller]]

+ * [[démordre]]

+ * [[mordu]]

+ * [[remordre]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[morsure]]

+ * [[morceau]]

+ * [[mors]]

+ * [[remords]]

+ * [[la|mordeō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}