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débander

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Etymology and origin of the French word débander

débander1 remove a bandage, slacken

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1190 late 12th century, Aliscans
Ultimate origin
Frankish *binda
Etymology tree of débander1
inherited borrowed derived
French bande
Romanian bandă
French débander

Pronunciation

  • /de.bɑ̃.de/[1]

Forms

débander[1] Old French desbender, desbander.[2][3]

Etymology

The word for removing a bandage is formed from French dé- + bander.[2][4][1][5] bander is from French bande1 (“strip, bond”),[6][7] which comes from Frankish *binda (“bond”),[6] a West Germanic word related to German binden and bind.[7][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 12th century as desbender in Aliscans, for freeing something of a band or blindfold:[2] Et ses biax euz li vet tot desbandant “and he goes unbandaging his fair eyes”.[3]

Semantic evolution

In 1459–60 it was used for unbending a crossbow,[2][8] and through the sense “to relax what is taut” (1549)[9] the pronominal se débander was applied figuratively to the mind relaxing (1601, Charron).[2][8] From 1690 (Furetière) it meant familiarly “to lose an erection”,[2][9] whence figuratively sans débander “without stopping”.[9][10] Soldiers' slang of 1915–1916 used it for losing or undoing one's puttees.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1190 – Desbender appears in Aliscans.[2][8]
  • 1459–1460 – Used for unbending a crossbow.[2]
  • 1549 – The sense “to slacken what is taut” is recorded.[9]
  • 1601 – Charron uses se débander of the mind.[2]
  • 1690 – Furetière records the erotic sense.[2][9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To take a bandage or blindfold off: débander une blessure.[10][11][5]
  2. To slacken what is taut, such as a bow or a spring;[10][5][8] se débander, to go slack.[10][5][8]
  3. (vulgar, intransitive) To lose an érection.[10][11][1]
  4. (familiar) Sans débander: without letting up.[10][9]

débander2 disband, scatter

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1556 J. de La Lande, translation of Dictys of Crete
Ultimate origin
Old Occitan banda
Etymology tree of débander2
inherited borrowed derived
French bande
Romanian bandă
French débander

Pronunciation

  • /de.bɑ̃.de/[1]

Forms

débander[1]

Etymology

The word for scattering troops is formed from French dé- + bande2 (“troop”),[2][4][7] after the model of Italian sbandare according to the Petit Robert and the Académie.[10][5] This noun is from Old Occitan banda, which Bloch and Wartburg trace further to a Gothic or West Germanic word for a sign or standard.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1556, in the pronominal se débander “to leave or stray from a troop”, in J. de La Lande's translation of Dictys of Crete.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Around the middle of the 16th century the transitive verb meant to detach part of a body of troops and send it against another.[9][8] In 1584 Du Bartas used it for putting troops to flight in disorder, and in 1592 Henri IV's letters for cutting someone off from the main body.[2] The pronominal sense “to scatter in disorder”, of an army, is recorded by the Dictionnaire de Trévoux in 1771,[2] and the looser sense “to disperse a troop” from 1834.[9][8] Its derivatives are débandade and débandement.[7][2]

Timeline

  • 1556 – Se débander “to stray from a troop” is recorded.[2][4]
  • 1584 – Du Bartas uses it for putting troops to flight.[2]
  • 1592 – Henri IV's letters use it for separating someone from the troop.[2]
  • 1771 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux records se débander of an army scattering.[2]
  • 1834 – Used for dispersing a troop.[9][8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (dated) To throw a troop into disorder, scatter it.[10][2]
  2. (classical) To detach part of a troop and send it against another.[8]
  3. Se débander: to break ranks and scatter, to disband in disorder; by extension, of any crowd.[10][5][12]

Word family

  • débandade
  • débandement

Usage notes

The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert number the verb from bande “strip” 1 and the verb from bande “troop” 2;[4][10][3] Littré numbers them in the same order.[4][10][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
  6. ^ a b c Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
  7. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Débander.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9bander. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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