accuser French · revision 17523

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 980, Passion of Clermont|origins=la causa}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.ky.ze/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''accuser'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|acuser]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|accūsō|t=to call to account, accuse]], from [[m|la|ad-]] and [[m|la|causa|t=cause, lawsuit]] (see [[cause]]), a legal word tied to the idea of a trial.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(FEW|24, 93a) Bloch and Wartburg note that the French verb was always influenced by the Latin one.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Littré reports Priscian's derivation of the stem from a frequentative of [[m|la|cūdō|t=to forge]] but prefers the derivation from the noun for “cause”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|accusare]], [[es|acusar]], [[pt|acusar]] and [[oc|acusar]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Clermont ''Passion'' (about 980) has ''acuser'' in the sense “to charge, put on trial”;^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) ''accuser quelqu'un de quelque chose'' is found from 1155.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As in Latin, one could accuse actions as well as people (about 1152), and, from this came the senses “to point out with hostility” (1205) and, with a thing as subject, “to reveal, show” (1190); the ''Roman de la Rose'' says crystals ''accusent'' the whole garden to those who look into the water.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) ''Accuser la réception'' of a letter is recorded in 1627 and ''accuser réception'' in 1835;^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''accuser le coup'' (1927), first in sport, is to show that one has been hit.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ In art ''accuser les muscles'' “to bring out the muscles” is from 1762, and “to emphasize, make stand out” in general from about 1870; reflexive ''s'accuser'' “to become more marked” is in Murger (1851).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) The past participle [[accusé]], as a noun, is the accused in criminal law, and ''accusé de réception'' is from 1832.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – ''Acuser'' in the Clermont ''Passion''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1155 – ''Accuser quelqu'un de quelque chose''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1190 – “To reveal”, with a thing as subject.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1627 – ''Accuser la réception''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1762 – In art, “to bring out”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1832 – ''Accusé de réception''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1927 – ''Accuser le coup''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|accuse]], to present (someone) as guilty: ''accuser quelqu'un de plagiat''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(law)'' To charge (someone) before a criminal court.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # To blame (something): ''accuser le sort''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To show, reveal; to bring out, emphasize (a feature).^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Accuser réception de'': to [[m|en|acknowledge]] receipt of, ''accuser le coup'', to show that one has been hurt.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''S'accuser'': to admit one's guilt: ''qui s'excuse s'accuse''; to become more marked.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[accusé]]

+ * [[accusable]]

+ * [[coaccusé]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[accusateur]]

+ * [[accusatif]]

+ * [[accusation]]

+ * [[excuser]]

+ * [[récuser]]

+ * [[cause]]

+ * [[la|accūsō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}