Etymologically
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arrière

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.ʁjɛʁ/[1]

Forms

arrière m (plural arrières)[1] Old French aredre (about 980), arere (Chanson de Roland), ariere, arrière from the 13th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *adretrō, a popular Latin compound of ad (“to”) and retrō (“backwards, behind”).[2][5][4][1][6] “Retrō” is formed from the prefix re- and the ending of “intrō”; it also gave Old French “riere” and, through “dē retrō”, derrière.[2][5]

Compare Italian addietro and Old Spanish “arredro”, Littré also cites Old Occitan areire and Catalan arreira.[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) arere means backwards, in the direction opposite to that one faces: Regarde arere, veit le glouton gesir.[7][2]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it served where modern French says en arrière; it also meant “behind” (1430) and, of time, “before” (Villehardouin), a sense kept only in compounds such as arrière-grand-père.[2] As an interjection it was first a hunting call (about 1375), then an order to step back, arrière, Satan !.[2][7] The noun, “the back part” (13th century), named the stern of a ship (1680), and en arrière became spatial in 1606.[2] In the plural les arrières are an army's lines of communication, whence assurer ses arrières, l'arrière is the home front, as opposed to the front, and a sports back is an arrière (1900).[2][3] In Quebec arrière also means “delay”.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 980 – Aredre.[3]
  • c. 1100 – Arere, Chanson de Roland.[7]
  • 13th century – The noun “back part”.[2]
  • 1267 – Arrérages.[5]
  • c. 1375 – As an interjection.[2]
  • 1606 – En arrière in space.[2]
  • 1680 – The stern of a ship.[2]
  • 1900 – A back in sports.[3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. En arrière: backwards, behind: faire un pas en arrière, rester en arrière.[3][8]
  2. (nautical) Vent arrière: a following wind.[9][7]

Interjection

  1. Back!, stand back!: arrière !, arrière, Satan !.[8][9]

Noun

  1. The back, the rear: l'arrière d'une voiture, à l'arrière; the stern of a ship.[3][1]
  2. The home front, as opposed to the front line, les arrières, the rear, assurer ses arrières.[3][2]
  3. (sports) A back, a defender.[3][1]

Adjective

  1. (invariable) Rear, back: les sièges arrière, marche arrière, reverse gear.[9][8]

Word family

  • arriéré
  • arrérages
  • arrière-boutique
  • arrière-garde
  • arrière-goût
  • arrière-grand-père
  • arrière-pays
  • arrière-pensée
  • arrière-plan
  • arrière-saison
  • arrière-train

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert 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 d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 180b
  7. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse