Etymologically
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attaquer

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.ta.ke/[1]

Forms

attaquer[1] Attacquer (1540), attaquer (1578).[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian attaccare (“to attach; to begin; to attack”), a military term, as in “attaccare battaglia” “to join battle” and “attaccare la scaramuccia”, which Rabelais rendered attaquer l'escarmouche (1549).[3][2][4][5] The Italian verb is as obscure as French attacher, its doublet, whose Picard form “attaquer” had also taken this sense.[3][2][1] It is usually traced to Germanic, through Italian tacca (“notch”), from Gothic, or through a word for a stake, but neither explanation is satisfactory in sense.[3][6] Pierre Guiraud derived both verbs from a Vulgar Latin derivative of Latin attingō (“to reach”).[3] Littré held that “attaquer” was simply the Picard and Flemish pronunciation of “attacher”.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1540, as a reflexive verb (s'attaquer à); the Petit Robert dates the transitive “to strike the first blows at an enemy” to 1578.[6][3]

Semantic evolution

Henri Estienne criticized it as an Italianism (attaquer, d'attacher qui est le vray mot et nayf), but it soon prevailed.[3][7] Abstract uses appear in the mid-17th century: of an illness seizing someone, of criticizing someone sharply, and of tackling a task or subject (Madame de Sévigné, 1675).[3] Law has attaquer qqn en justice (Marivaux, 1735), fencing has its own sense (1859), and of things it means to eat away (la rouille attaque le fer).[3][4] Familiarly attaquer a dish is to start eating it (1825).[8]

Timeline

  • 1540 – S'attacquer.[2][3]
  • 1549 – Attaquer l'escarmouche, Rabelais.[3]
  • 1578 – To attack an enemy.[2][6]
  • 1675 – To tackle (a subject), Madame de Sévigné.[3]
  • 1735 – Attaquer en justice, Marivaux.[3]
  • 1825 – To start eating.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To attack, assail: attaquer l'ennemi, (absolute) to launch an attack.[6][1]
  2. To attack in words, criticize, attaquer qqn en justice, to sue.[3][6]
  3. To eat away, corrode, damage: la rouille attaque le fer.[1][4]
  4. To tackle, begin (a task, a subject); (familiar) to start on (a dish).[1][3]
  5. S'attaquer à: to attack; to tackle (a problem).[6]

Word family

  • attaque
  • attaquant
  • contre-attaquer
  • inattaquable

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 202a
  6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF