Etymologically
Log in

causer

Etymology and origin of the French word causer

History Permalink
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin causa
English cause
French chose
French cause
French causer

French has separately a verb causer “to cause”, formed on cause, and a verb causer “to chat”, borrowed from Latin.[1][2][3]

causer1 to cause

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1275, Jean de Meun, Roman de la Rose
Ultimate origin
Latin (causa)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ko.ze/[4]

Forms

causer[4]

Etymology

The verb “to cause” is formed from French cause + -er, from the noun meaning “reason, motive”.[2][1][5][4] The noun is borrowed from Latin causa (“cause; lawsuit”).[5]

Compare Spanish causar and Italian causare.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean de Meun's Roman de la Rose (about 1275) uses it for producing, being the origin of something; it was rare before the 16th century.[2]

Semantic evolution

Oresme (about 1361) has se causer de “to base oneself on”, and Commynes uses it for “to be the cause of”.[6][7] Montaigne writes of an apoplexy que ce coup luy causa.[6] In law causer is to state the grounds of an obligation (une dette régulièrement causée).[7]

Timeline

  • c. 1275 – Jean de Meun.[2]
  • c. 1361 – Se causer de “to base oneself on”, Oresme.[7]
  • 16th century – The verb becomes common.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To cause, bring about: causer un accident, des dégâts, causer de la peine à quelqu'un.[8][4]
  2. (law) To state the grounds of (an obligation).[7]

Word family

  • causation

causer2 to chat

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1174
Borrowed from
Latin causor
Ultimate origin
Latin (causa)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ko.ze/[4]

Forms

causer[4]

Etymology

The verb “to chat” is borrowed from Latin causor (“to plead; to put forward as a reason, object”), from causa (“lawsuit, cause”).[3][5][1][9][4] An active form causare is found in the 6th century (Cassiodorus).[3] The inherited form of the Latin verb is Old French choser (“to blame, scold”) (about 1125), still alive in a Norman verb causer “to blame”.[3][5] Littré rejected Diez's view that Old High German chôsôn played a part.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1174 it is a legal term: to summon someone before a court to explain himself.[3]

Semantic evolution

In Old and Middle French it meant “to reason, explain” (reflexive about 1265, transitive in the 14th century).[3] The modern sense “to chat” (1572) is a French extension of the idea of discussion implied in “to plead”.[3][5] It soon took a negative turn, “to mock” (16th century), “to speak ill of” (1662) and “to gossip” (1690).[3] Classical authors condemned causer à in favour of causer avec.[3]

Today causer often sounds less educated than parler in European French, but it is neutral in several regions; in Martinique it is used for talking on the telephone.[3] Familiar phrases are cause toujours ! and causer chiffons.[8][4]

Timeline

  • c. 1125 – Inherited choser “to blame”.[3]
  • 1174 – Legal sense.[3]
  • c. 1265 – Se causer “to reason”.[3]
  • 1534 – Causeur, Rabelais.[5]
  • 1572 – “To chat”.[3]
  • 1690 – “To gossip”.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To chat, talk: causer avec quelqu'un, causer de choses et d'autres, assez causé !.[8][4]
  2. (familiar) To talk about: causer politique; to speak (a language): causer anglais.[8][4]
  3. To gossip, talk indiscreetly: on commence à causer.[3][8]
  4. (familiar) Cause toujours !: talk away, I'm not listening.[8][4]

Word family

  • causerie
  • causette
  • causeur
  • causeuse

References

  1. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  2. ^ a b c d e 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 543b

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Causer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/causer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·