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arracher

Etymology and origin of the French word arracher

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
early 12th century (arachié)
Inherited from
Latin *exradico via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (rādīx)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.ʁa.ʃe/[1]

Forms

arracher[1] Old French esrachier, arachier.[1][2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French esrachier with a change of prefix, inherited from Vulgar Latin *exrādīcō, from Latin ērādīcō (“to uproot”), from ex- and rādīx (“root”) (see racine).[2][3][4][1][5] According to Bloch and Wartburg, the prefix “a-” expresses the movement of pulling something towards oneself, Old French also had “desrachier”.[3][2] It is a doublet of the learned éradiquer.[1]

Compare Spanish arraigar and Portuguese arreigar.[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The participle arachié is found at the start of the 12th century for pulling a rooted plant out of the ground; the Livre des Rois has esracerad “will root out”.[2][4][6]

Semantic evolution

By the late 12th century it also meant to pull off something firmly attached, such as a tooth, which led to the figurative “to extract from someone” (16th century): arracher un aveu, un secret.[2][7][6] With a person as object it meant to drive away by force (1690), as in arracher qqn à.[2]

Reflexive uses include s'arracher qqn “to fight over someone” (on se l'arrache) and slang s'arracher “to clear off”; the noun arraché (weightlifting, 1894) gave à l'arraché “with a last-ditch effort”.[2][1] D'arrache-pied “relentlessly” dates from about 1515.[3]

Timeline

  • early 12th century – Arachié “uprooted”.[2][4]
  • 12th century – The derivative arrachement.[3]
  • late 12th century – To pull off, extract.[7]
  • c. 1515 – D'arrache-pied.[3]
  • 16th century – To extract (a confession).[2]
  • 1690 – To tear (someone) away.[2]
  • 1894 – Arraché in weightlifting.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pull up, uproot: arracher les mauvaises herbes.[7][1]
  2. To pull out, tear off: arracher une dent, arracher une affiche.[1][8]
  3. To snatch, wrest (from someone): arracher un sac, arracher un aveu à qqn.[2][7]
  4. To tear (someone) away (from a place, a state): arracher qqn au sommeil.[2]
  5. S'arracher: to tear oneself away, s'arracher qqn, to fight over someone, (slang) to clear off.[2][1]

Word family

  • arrachage
  • arrachement
  • arracheur
  • arrache-pied
  • arraché
  • racine
  • éradiquer
  • Latin ērādīcō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 234a
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Arracher.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/arracher. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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