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dépêcher

Etymology and origin of the French word dépêcher

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
first quarter of the 13th century, Renclus de Molliens
Ultimate origin
Latin (pedica)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.pɛ.ʃe/[1]
  • IPA: /de.pe.ʃe/[1]

Forms

dépêcher[1] Despeechier (1225), despescher (late 13th century); the Académie wrote depescher in 1694 and 1718, dépêcher from 1740.[2][3]

Etymology

It was formed as the opposite of empêcher, replacing its prefix with dé-.[3][4][5][2][1] That verb comes from Late Latin impedicō (“to catch in a snare, fetter”), from pedica (“fetter”).[3][6] Littré reports Diez's doubts, since Spanish despachar and Italian dispacciare seem the same word.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Renclus de Molliens (first quarter of the 13th century) uses se despeechier for freeing oneself from something; in 1225 a Douai register has the transitive verb.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

The link with empêcher remained clear in the sense “to set free, deliver”, alive from the 13th to the 16th century.[4] The idea of getting rid of something quickly took over in the 16th century; the Cent Nouvelles nouvelles (about 1462) use it for dispatching someone by killing him, and a farce of about 1490 says of a doctor that he despeschoit tout à deulx motz.[4][3] The reflexive se dépêcher “to hurry” is found about 1490 and has become the commonest use.[3][4]

From the idea of speed came “to send someone in haste” (Commynes, late 15th century: Il despescha deux de ses bourgeois) and “to send a message” (1681), the sense behind the noun dépêche (1464).[3][4][7]

Timeline

  • Early 13th century – Se despeechier “to free oneself”.[3]
  • c. 1462 – “To kill”, Cent Nouvelles nouvelles.[3]
  • 1464 – The noun dépêche.[4]
  • c. 1490 – Se dépêcher “to hurry”.[3]
  • Late 15th century – “To send in haste”, Commynes.[3]
  • 1681 – “To send dispatches”.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To dispatch, send in haste: dépêcher un messager auprès de quelqu'un.[8][1]
  2. Se dépêcher: to hurry: dépêche-toi !, se dépêcher de finir.[8][1]
  3. (literary) To get through quickly, rush: dépêcher son repas.[4][2]
  4. (literary) To kill, dispatch: dépêcher quelqu'un dans l'autre monde.[2][4]

Word family

  • dépêche
  • dépêcheur

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  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. 4, 580b
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Dépêcher.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9p%C3%AAcher. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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