creuser French · revision 17542

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1172, Chrétien de Troyes, Chevalier au lion}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kʁø.ze/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''creuser'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|croser]], ''cruser'';^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(Grand Robert 2005) ''creuser'' from the 13th century.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|creux|-er]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873) Bloch and Wartburg think [[creux|alt=Creux]] probably of Celtic origin, from a hypothetical Celtic form, since it is found across Gallo-Romance, in [[pro|cros]] and in the Rhaeto-Romance and northern Italian dialects.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Chrétien de Troyes's ''Chevalier au lion'' (1172) ''crosé'' means made hollow by emptying out its substance.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Péan Gatineau (first half of the 13th century) uses it for making something by digging; the ''Chanson des Saxons'' has ''croser souz terre à pic et à martel''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) La Fontaine (1685) has it figuratively for going deeply into a subject, and Madame de Sévigné (1671) ''ma tête et mon esprit se creusent''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ''Se creuser la tête'' (Père Duchesne has ''se creuser la tronche'' in 1791) is to rack one's brains, and ''creuser l'estomac'' to make hungry;^(BHVF)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989) ''ça creuse !'' is modern familiar French.^(BHVF)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989) Illness or fatigue ''creuse les joues''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1172 – ''Crosé'', in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 13th century – The derivative ''creusement''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * First half of the 13th century – “To dig”, in Péan Gatineau.^(TLFi)

+ * 1671 – ''Se creuser'', in Madame de Sévigné.^(TLFi)

+ * 1685 – “To go deeply into”, in La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1791 – ''Se creuser la tronche''.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|dig]] (a hole, a trench, a well); to dig into: ''creuser la terre'', ''creuser un puits''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # To hollow out: ''la mer creuse les falaises''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To make hollow or concave: ''creuser la taille''; of illness, to make (the cheeks) hollow.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To go deeply into: ''creuser une idée''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Se creuser la tête, la cervelle'': to rack one's brains, ''ça creuse'', it gives you an appetite.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Creuser sa tombe'': to dig one's own grave.^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[creusement]]

+ * [[creuseur]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[creux]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}