Shit

Etymology

The word shit , attested for the first time in 1179 in the Romance of Renart, is resulting from the Latin merda , “droppings, excrement”. This word of the vulgar language is without sour etymology. With the Quebec, the word is sometimes marked marde .

Use

In French

In addition to the definition referred to above, it is also used in the world of arts (at the origin with the theater) to wish good luck with the recipient of the injunction which does not have, according to the beliefs, to thank that which addressed this wish to him.

Other languages

In the foreign languages, in particular in English, this word good fleure France. It is for the english-speaking the French stereotype par excellence with the rod and the Béret. The anglophone bibliography swarms with the remainder of works whose title starts with, or contains, the word Merde (French in the text ).

Expressions

“It is shit”, “ /objet/ of shit” --
“I tell you shit”
“I walked inside” -- This expression being elliptic, the word " merde" does not appear there but it is indeed that which one must include/understand, here in its direction first (organic matter).
“I am foutu inside” -- As for the preceding one, this expression is elliptic but the direction here is different, the expression meaning in a picturesque way that one put oneself in a difficult situation.
“To have an eye which says shit to the other” -- To have a cast
“To have shit with the yeux" -- Not to see what is however obvious.
“Shit then!”
“excavation-shit” -- The journalist

Verbal derivatives

The dénominatif verb merder (intransitive) very familiarly indicates the fact of failing, and also any dysfunction which would have dangerous or disastrous consequences. An employment with the direction “déféquer” is attested in the old language.

There exists also merdoyer glosé “to muddle itself, empêtrer” by the tlfi.

In policy

Any lord any honor, the January 28th 1809, Napoleon i addressing himself to Talleyrand which he suspects of treason: “…, you Hold are shit in a silk stocking! ”. Talleyrand, once the Emperor had left, called to the witnesses of the dispute: “ Quel damage, Sirs, that if great man either so badly high! ”

One will quote of course Ravachol the famous anarchist of the 19th century, in the morning of his execution with Montbrison the July 11th 1892, which sings the good god in the shit .

In the literature and other arts

A heroic coarseness which inspired a part with Sacha Guitry, the word of Cambronne . As it is in worms and that the word in question has only one rhyme (“loses”), the ear of the spectator is obviously with the aguets.

One can quote in the poetry of the 20th century the text " The research of the fécalité" , extract of to finish some with the judgment of god of Antonin Artaud, poem recited by Roger Blin in the very famous radiophonic recording of this collection. The poem starts with the particularly strong worms: " Where that feels the shit that feels the être." It should however be noted that the word shit is employed rather frequently in the work of Artaud.

Among the songs, one can think of Léo Ferré which in its Merde in Vauban speaks to us about the convicts of the Ile de Ré.

Merdre

Spells word shit invented by Alfred Jarry in his famous part Ubu King. The grotesque character of the Ubu father employs it to post his singularity, as well as it spells the word finances " phynance". The part starts besides with this interjection, howled by the Ubu father with the Ubu mother; that with an aim of shocking the public. She became one of the characteristics of the part.

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