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claquer

Etymology and origin of the French word claquer

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Onomatopoeia
First attested
1508, Jean Lemaire de Belges

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kla.ke/[1]

Forms

claquer[1]

Etymology

It is derived from an onomatopoeia imitating a sharp, sudden noise (see claque, clac).[2][3][4][5] Littré compared Dutch klakken;[6][1] Wiktionary derives the French verb from Middle Dutch klacken (“to clack, crack”).[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Lemaire de Belges (1508) speaks of birds claquans du bec, clacking their beaks.[2]

Semantic evolution

Scarron (1648) uses it for “to slap”, and in the 18th century it meant to applaud a play or an author (1732 according to the BHVF, Diderot in the TLFi), the origin of claque, the hired applause.[2][7][4] Many familiar senses are from the 19th century: “to eat greedily” (1848), “to squander” (il a tout claqué, 1861), and “to die” (1842–1859).[2][5] Zola (1892) has claquer for exhausting someone, and se claquer un muscle “to tear a muscle” is found in 1902.[7]

Common uses are claquer la porte, claquer des dents “to shiver” and, figuratively, l'affaire lui a claqué dans les doigts.[5][8]

Timeline

  • 1508 – Claquans du bec, in Jean Lemaire de Belges.[2]
  • 1648 – “To slap”, in Scarron.[2]
  • 1732 – “To applaud”.[7]
  • 1848 – “To eat greedily”.[2]
  • 1859 – “To die”.[2]
  • 1861 – “To squander”.[2]
  • 1902 – Se claquer (a muscle).[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (intransitive) To make a sharp noise; to bang, flap, crack: un volet qui claque, un drapeau qui claque au vent.[5][1]
  2. Claquer des dents: to chatter with cold or fear, claquer des doigts, to snap one's fingers.[5][8]
  3. (transitive) To slam (a door); to slap (someone).[1][5]
  4. (familiar) To squander (money): il a tout claqué.[2][1]
  5. (familiar, intransitive) To die; to break, give way: l'affaire lui a claqué dans les doigts.[5][8]
  6. (familiar) To wear out, se claquer un muscle, to pull a muscle.[7]

Word family

  • claquement
  • claquette
  • claqueur
  • claquemurer
  • clac

Usage notes

A separate verb claquer “to fit (a shoe) with a claque”, a leather upper, is a shoemakers' term derived from claque “sandal” (Littré 1863).[2][3][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert 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 Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Claquer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/claquer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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