Etymologically
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enterrer

Etymology and origin of the French word enterrer

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Ultimate origin
Latin (terra)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin terra
French terre
French enterrer

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃.tɛ.ʁe/[1]
  • IPA: /ɑ̃.te.ʁe/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana): /ɑ̃.te.re/[1]

Forms

enterrer[1]

Etymology

It is from French en- + terre + -er.[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary instead traces it to Vulgar Latin *interrō (“to put into the earth”), from terra (“earth”).[1] Cognate with Occitan enterrar, Spanish enterrar and Italian interrare;[6][1] English inter is from the same Latin source.[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it means to bury the body of a dead person, and to attend the burial: A grant honor pois les unt enterrez.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The Pèlerinage de Charlemagne (about 1140) has it for putting anything in the ground and covering it with earth.[2] Richelet (1680) records the sense “to shut away in a dull, dreary place”, and Furetière (1690) “to bury under a heap”.[2][4]

The Académie recorded il nous enterrera tous, “he will outlive us all”, in 1718, and Littré (1864) the joke about a doctor who enterre ses malades.[4] Figuratively it means to put an end to something or let it drop (enterrer un scandale); enterrer sa vie de garçon is to celebrate one's last night as a bachelor.[4][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – “To bury (the dead)”, in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1140 – “To put in the ground”, in the Pèlerinage de Charlemagne.[2]
  • 12th century – The derivative enterrement.[7]
  • 1680 – “To shut away”, in Richelet.[2]
  • 1690 – “To bury under a heap”, in Furetière.[2]
  • 1718 – “To outlive”, in the Académie.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To bury (a dead person); to attend the funeral of: il est mort et enterré.[8][9]
  2. Il nous enterrera tous: he will outlive us all.[8][4]
  3. To put in the ground, bury: enterrer un trésor.[3][10]
  4. (figurative) To drop, shelve, hush up: enterrer un projet, enterrer un scandale.[4][1]
  5. Enterrer sa vie de garçon: to have a stag party.[1][4]
  6. S'enterrer: to bury oneself away from the world.[1][2]

Word family

  • enterrement
  • déterrer

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/1, 249b
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Enterrer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/enterrer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·