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étirer

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Etymology and origin of the French word étirer

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1250 Doon de Mayence More words from the 13th century
Ultimate origin
French é-,tirer
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French tirer
French étirer
From the same root
French attirer ← tirer
French retirer ← tirer
French tir ← tirer
French tirade ← tirer
French tiroir ← tirer

Pronunciation

Forms

étirer[1] Old French estirer; the prefix was written es- until the 18th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French é- + tirer, first as estirer about 1250.[4][2][5] The prefix is intensive, from Latin ex-.[3] The origin of tirer itself is disputed: Bloch and Wartburg think it was probably drawn from Old French martirier (“to torture”), and the FEW files it under Latin martyrium.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record, in Doon de Mayence (about 1250), has the sense “to bring someone along by pulling”.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Montaigne's use in 1588 fixed the modern sense “to lengthen by pulling”, there figuratively.[4][2] The verb then took technical senses in leatherwork (1723) and spinning (1864).[2] The pronominal s'étirer (1808, Boiste) is said of a person or an animal stretching its limbs after sleep, and also of a thing that unfolds or of something that drags on in time.[4][2] The spelling étirer is given by the Trévoux dictionary in 1743.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1250 – Estirer “to bring someone along by pulling” appears in Doon de Mayence.[4]
  • 1437 – The derived noun estire names a hoisting machine.[2]
  • 1588 – Montaigne uses it for lengthening by pulling.[4][2]
  • 1611 – Estirement is recorded.[2]
  • 1723 – A sense in leatherwork appears.[2]
  • 1743 – The Trévoux dictionary spells it étirer.[3]
  • 1808 – Boiste records s'étirer “to stretch one's limbs”.[4][2]
  • 1812 – Étirage and étireur are recorded.[4][2]
  • 1864 – It is used in spinning.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To stretch, to lengthen or draw out by pulling or pressure: étirer une pâte de verre.[8][4]
  2. (technical) To draw metals, leather or textile fibres.[8][9]
  3. S'étirer: to stretch out, to lengthen, of clouds or a fabric that gives: La fumée s'étirait au-dessus des toits.[8]
  4. S'étirer: to stretch one's limbs, as on waking: Le chat s'étire au soleil.[8][9][1]
  5. S'étirer: to drag on in time.[2]

Word family

  • étirement
  • étirage
  • étireur

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 404a
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Étirer.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/%C3%A9tirer. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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