abattre French · revision 17506

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1080, Chanson de Roland|origins=la battuō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.batʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''abattre'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|abatre]], [[inh|la-vul|*abbattuō]], later [[m|la-vul|*abbattō]], a compound of [[m|la|ad-]] marking an action carried to its end and [[m|la|battuō|t=to beat]] (see [[battre]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|24, 16b) The verb is already found in the Reichenau glosses of the 8th century.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) It replaced classical [[m|la|afflīgō|t=to strike down]], which survived only in Old French [[m|fro|aflire]] and in the figurative sense of [[affliger]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|abbattere]], [[es|abatir]], [[pt|abater]], [[ca|abatre]], [[oc|abatre]] and [[ro|abate]].^(Wiktionary)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080) it means to strike down: a gate of Saragossa is knocked down and a knight is struck dead.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ First said of buildings, then (13th century) of trees and fruit, in the sense “to knock down to gather” (1270).^(DHLF 1992) Of a living being, “to make fall” has also meant “to wound or kill” since the 11th century; an argot glossary of 1821 has it for killing a person.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Figurative uses are old: “to humble (pride)” about 1200, “to reduce (a value)” in the 12th century, and ''abattre de la besogne'' “to get through a great deal of work” in 1718.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The past participle [[abattu]] is said of a person who is weak or downcast, and the noun [[abattement]] has moved from a concrete sense (about 1190) and a tax reduction (1259) to depression of spirits.^(DHLF 1992) In 1800 Cousin Jacques's dictionary of neologisms called ''abattre'' the chief science of revolutions.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – ''Abattas'' in the Reichenau glosses.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * c. 1080 – ''Abatre'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1200 – “To humble (pride)”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1265 – The derivative ''abattage''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1718 – ''Abattre de la besogne''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1806 – The derivative ''abattoir''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1821 – “To kill (a person)”, in argot.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To knock down, bring down what stands upright: ''abattre un arbre'', ''abattre un mur'' (to [[m|en|demolish]]).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To kill (an animal), especially to [[m|en|slaughter]] it for meat; to shoot down: ''abattre un avion''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To kill (a person) with a firearm: ''un homme à abattre''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To weaken, [[m|en|exhaust]]; to [[m|en|dishearten]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''Abattre ses cartes, son jeu'': to lay down one's cards, ''(figurative)'' to reveal one's intentions.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Abattre de la besogne'': to get through a lot of work.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''S'abattre'': to fall heavily, ''s'abattre sur'', to swoop down on.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[abat-jour]]

+ * [[abattis]]

+ * [[abattoir]]

+ * [[abattu]]

+ * [[abat]]

+ * [[abattage]]

+ * [[abattement]]

+ * [[rabattre]]

+ * [[rabat-joie]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[battre]]

+ * [[affliger]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}