arrimage

Forms

arrimage m (plural arrimages)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French arrimer + -age.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The verb arrimer (1398) was taken from rimen (“to arrange, to clear away”), adapted with an initial ⟨a-⟩ on the model of the Latin verbs in ad-.^[5][2] Wiktionary traces the Middle English verb to Old English rȳman (“to make room, to clear”), from Proto-Germanic *rūmijaną (“to make roomy”).^[1] It belongs to the Germanic family of Old English rūm (“space”), German Raum and Old Norse rúm.^[5][2] French had already taken the Germanic noun as Middle French run (“bottom of the hold”) (1386), from which came arrumer (“to stow the cargo”) (1386 to the 18th century), the source of Spanish arrumar, Catalan arrumar and Portuguese arrumar.^[5][2] Littré compares Spanish arrumaje.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1398, in a royal ordinance, at the same time as the verb arrimer; the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert give its first sense as “putting in order”.^{[4][2][5][3][7]}

Semantic evolution

Like arrimer, it has been a term of the navy since the end of the 14th century,^[5] and the sense “stowing of a ship's cargo” is dated 1678 by the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert.^[3][7] Littré defines it only as the arrangement of a ship's cargo.^[6] By extension it was later used for loading and securing goods on any means of transport, such as railway wagons, lorries or mules.^[8][4] It gave désarrimage (1836).^[5]

Timeline

• 1386 – Middle French run “bottom of the hold” and arrumer are recorded.^[5]
• 1398 – Arrimage and arrimer are first recorded.^[2][4]
• 1678 – The modern sense “stowing of cargo” is recorded.^[3][7]
• 1836 – The derivative désarrimage appears.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (nautical) The stowage of cargo in the hold of a ship, distributing its weight and securing it.^[8][7][9]
2. By extension, the loading and securing of goods on any means of transport.^[8][4]
3. The way in which goods have been stowed: L’arrimage de la cale était mal fait.^[4][7]
4. Bois d’arrimage: a piece of wood used to wedge goods or casks in place.^[4][9]

Related words

• arrimer
• arrimeur

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c 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
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)