presse French · revision 17590

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la premō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁɛs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''presse''' ''f'' (plural presses)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a deverbal noun [[der|fr|presser|t=to press]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The verb continues [[la|pressō]], the frequentative of [[m|la|premō|t=to press]], formed on its supine.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Cognate with [[pro|pressa]], [[es|priesa|t=haste]] and [[it|pressa]].^(Littré 1873)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) has ''Granz est la presse, nus n'i poduns passer'', “great is the crowd, we cannot get through”.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “crowd”, frequent in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (''en la presse'', in the thick of the battle), is now literary;^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989) ''il y a presse'', there is a rush, dates from 1622.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989) About 1220 it also meant haste, a sense that survives regionally.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) From the end of the 11th century it named a device for pressing, in Rashi's glosses, and at the end of the 15th century the printing press, whence ''sous presse'' (1550).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) By metonymy it came to mean what is printed, as in ''liberté de la presse'' (1738), then the newspapers as a whole, and in 1838 journalists collectively.^(DHLF 1992) ''Avoir bonne'' or ''mauvaise presse'' dates from 1884–1889.^(DHLF 1992) The forced enlistment of sailors was also called ''la presse'' (1797).^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – “Crowd”, in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 11th century – A pressing device, in Rashi.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1220 – “Haste”, in Gautier de Coinci.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 15th century – The printing press.^(TLFi)

+ * 1550 – ''Sous la presse''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1738 – ''Liberté de la presse''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1838 – Journalists collectively.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1884 – ''Avoir bonne presse''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(literary)'' A dense [[m|en|crowd]]: ''fendre la presse''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # A machine or device for pressing or stamping: ''presse hydraulique'', ''presse à emboutir''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # A printing [[m|en|press]], ''sous presse'', being printed.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''La presse'': newspapers and periodicals as a whole, and journalists: ''conférence de presse'', ''liberté de la presse''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Avoir bonne presse'', ''mauvaise presse'': to have a good or bad reputation.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(regional)'' [[m|en|haste|alt=Haste]], hurry.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[presse-papiers]]

+ * [[presse-citron]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[presser]]

+ * [[pression]]

+ * [[pressoir]]

+ * [[empresser]]

+ * [[imprimer]]

+ * [[la|premō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Littré has a second ''presse'', a kind of peach, which he takes as another form of [[pêche]] from [[la|persicum]]; the REW traces it to [[ca|préssec]].^(Littré 1873)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}