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déposer

Etymology and origin of the French word déposer

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1120 (to depose)
Borrowed from
Latin depono
Ultimate origin
Latin (pōnō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin depono
French déposer

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.po.ze/[1]

Forms

déposer[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dēpōnō (“to put down; to deposit; to give up; in Late Latin, to depose”), remade after poser;[2][3][4][1] the Latin verb is formed from dē- and pōnō (“to put”).[2] Wiktionary calls it equivalent to a French compound of dé- and that verb, and Littré explains it so.[1][5]

The FEW files it under Latin pausō, the source of the French verb, which in spoken Late Latin took over the main senses of the older Latin verb.[6][7] Compare Old Occitan depausar.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first sense is figurative, “to deprive of a dignity”: a 12th-century psalter has Il deposat les puissanz del siege, “he put down the mighty from their seat”.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

As a verb of speech in law it developed, by a French development, déposer que “to testify” (1393), with déposition and the noun déposant (1392).[2] The concrete sense “to put down, store somewhere” is attested only from 1534, and, from it come legal and banking uses, déposer son argent and déposer son bilan “to file for bankruptcy” (1798).[2][8] Under the influence of dépôt, it was said of a liquid leaving a sediment (Académie, 1798).[2]

A separate verb déposer “to take down what was fixed” (1836, déposer une serrure) is formed from dé- and poser;[3][4][9] Raymond records it among locksmiths in 1836.[3][4][9]

Timeline

  • c. 1120 – “To depose”.[2]
  • 1392 – Déposant, a witness.[2]
  • 1393 – Déposer que “to testify”.[2]
  • 1534 – “To put down, deposit”.[2][8]
  • 1798 – Déposer son bilan; of a liquid, to leave a sediment.[2]
  • 1836 – Déposer “to take down”.[3][9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To put down, set down: déposer un fardeau, déposer une gerbe sur une tombe, déposer les armes, to lay down one's arms.[4][1]
  2. To drop off a person: je vous déposerai devant chez vous.[4][1]
  3. To deposit for safekeeping: money at a bank, a document, déposer son bilan, to file for bankruptcy.[1][2]
  4. To depose a ruler: déposer un roi.[4][1]
  5. (law, intransitive) To give evidence, testify.[2]
  6. Of a liquid, to leave a sediment.[4][2]
  7. To take down, remove what was fixed: déposer des rideaux.[4]

Word family

  • déposant
  • déposé
  • déposition
  • dépositaire
  • redéposer

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 8, 63b
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Déposer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9poser. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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