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décharger

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Etymology and origin of the French word décharger

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1075–1100 Rashi's glosses More words from the 11th century
Ultimate origin
Latin carrus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin carrus
French char
Italian carro
Romanian car
Spanish carro
Latin carricō
French charger
French décharger
Italian caricare
Spanish cargar
From the same root
Italian carraia ← carrus
Romanian căruță ← car
English caricature ← carricō
French charge ← charger
Italian carica ← caricare
Italian carico ← caricare
Italian scaricare ← caricare
Spanish carga ← cargar
Spanish cargo ← cargar

Pronunciation

  • /de.ʃaʁ.ʒe/[1]

Forms

décharger[1] Old French deschargier, also descarquier in Beaumanoir.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French dé- + charger.[4][5][3][2][6] The TLFi and Rey compare Late Latin discaregō, found in the Salic Law (6th century), a form of discarricō;[4][7] Bloch and Wartburg and Wiktionary take the French verb as its continuation.[8][1] The base verb goes back to Vulgar Latin *carricō, from carrus (“wagon”).[8][1]

Cognate with Italian scaricare, Spanish descargar and Old Occitan descargar;[8][2] Picard has dékerker and Walloon dihiergî.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 11th century in Rashi's glosses, meaning to unload, to take off a load.[4][3][7]

Semantic evolution

The object could be the beast of burden or the bearer (1130–1160, Couronnement de Louis) or the goods moved (early 13th century).[4][7] Old French already used it figuratively for setting someone free: from a task or duty (about 1220), from an accusation (about 1283, Beaumanoir), from a debt (1287).[4][7] One relieves oneself of a burden on the mind with décharger sa conscience (late 14th century, Froissart), son cœur (1508) and sa bile, sa colère (1538, Estienne).[4][7]

Technical senses began in Middle French with décharger une arme “to fire” (1477) and then “to unload a firearm” (1680).[4][7] The reflexive was used of a river or liquid emptying itself (1559, Amyot) and of a fabric losing its dye (1680).[4][7][9] Commerce (1680, a receipt), the navy (1694), printing (1794) and electricity (1808) added their own uses,[4][7] and the verb also has the erotic sense “to ejaculate”.[7]

Timeline

  • late 11th century – Rashi's glosses use it for taking off a load.[4][3]
  • 1130–1160 – The Couronnement de Louis uses it for relieving a pack animal.[4]
  • c. 1220 – Huon de Bordeaux uses it for freeing someone from a duty.[4]
  • c. 1283 – Beaumanoir uses it for clearing someone of an accusation.[4][7]
  • 1287 – It is used for releasing from a debt.[4][7]
  • late 14th century – Froissart writes décharger sa conscience.[4]
  • 1477 – Décharger une arme “to fire” is recorded.[4][7]
  • 1538 – Estienne records décharger sa colère.[4][3]
  • 1559 – Amyot uses the reflexive of a river.[4]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records the sense “to lighten an excess load”.[4][3]
  • 1808 – It is used in electricity.[4][7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To unload, to relieve (a person, an animal, a ship, a vehicle) of its load.[10][11][12]
  2. To unload, to take off (a cargo or goods).[10][11]
  3. To unload (a weapon), to remove its charge;[10][11] décharger son arme sur someone, to fire at them.[10][11]
  4. To lighten, to reduce the weight bearing on something.[10][3]
  5. To release (someone) from an obligation, a task or a debt: décharger quelqu'un de.[4][3]
  6. (law) To clear (someone) of an accusation.[4][3]
  7. To give vent to: décharger sa conscience, décharger son cœur, décharger sa colère.[4][3]
  8. (electricity) To discharge (a battery, a capacitor).[3]
  9. (reflexive) Of a river, to flow into; of a fabric, to lose its colour.[4][9]

Word family

  • décharge
  • déchargement
  • déchargeur

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x 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
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 421b
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Décharger.” Etymologically, 11 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9charger. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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