Etymologically
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émeute

Etymology and origin of the French word émeute

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1160–1174, Wace

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.møt/[1]

Forms

émeute f (plural émeutes)[1] Esmote, esmuete (12th century), esmuette (1326), émute until the 17th century, émeute (16th century).[2][3][4][5]

Etymology

It was formed on “esmeu”, the old past participle of émouvoir, after meute in its old sense “uprising, expedition, movement”.[2][3][6][4] “Émouvoir” is Vulgar Latin “*exmovēre”, from classical Latin ēmovēre (“to move out, set in motion”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Roman de Rou (1160–1174) has esmote for a movement, the outbreak of a war.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In 1326 (rebellions et esmuettes) it was specialised for popular uprisings, and in 1362 the archives of Reims speak of the esmuete of country people against the nobles.[2][7] In the classical period it competed with émotion in this sense, and it was also used for emotion itself (La Fontaine, faire émeute), a sense lost to émoi.[3][6] Only “popular uprising” has survived, with an idea of violence but without political content, unlike révolution or insurrection (Hugo: La populace ne peut faire que des émeutes).[3][8] Bloch and Wartburg date the modern sense to the 18th century, the GLLF to Ronsard.[6][5] Émeutier dates from 1834.[3]

Timeline

  • 1160–1174 – Esmote in Wace.[2]
  • 1326 – Esmuettes “uprisings”.[2]
  • 1362 – Esmuete at Reims.[7]
  • Mid-16th century – The modern sense, in Ronsard.[5]
  • 1834 – Émeutier.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A riot, disturbance: la manifestation tourne à l'émeute.[9][1]
  2. (figurative) Uproar, chaos.[1]

Word family

  • émeutier
  • émouvoir
  • émotion
  • meute
  • mouvoir

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Émeute.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/%C3%A9meute. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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